Roanoke Valley: Report For The Historic Halifax State Historic Site, Part 2

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THe ROANOKE VALLEY: A REPORT
FOR THE HISTORIC HALIFAX
STATE HISTORIC SITE
PART II
by
Jerry L. Cross- May 31, 1974
PART II .
HISTORICAL RESEARCH REPORT
FOR THE
PLAYHOUSE SITE, LOT 111
HALIFAX , NORTH CAROLINA
by John S. Duvall
February, 1970
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Documentary Research Report
II. Chain of Title
III . Archaeology Report
IV. Illustrations
A. Section of Sauthier Map Showing Lot 111
in Town Plan
B. Archaeological Excavations, 1970 (3 plates)
C. Playhouse Search~ conducted at Halifax,
North Carolina, June 15 to 25, 1970 (map)
D. Lot 111 in 1973
e -
I . DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH REPORT
-- One of the most interesting features of the "Plan of the Town of
1
Halifax" drawn in 1769 by C. J. Sauthier is the identification of the
"Play Rouse" on the southern edge of town . Significantly, no comparable
structure appears on any of the other Sauthier maps of North Carolina
towns. The presence of a playhouse building may be a clue to the cultural
life in eighteenth century Halifax, for "preoccupation with the theatre
and the drama is an index and criterion of civilization."2 There are
two factors, however, which prevent an unqualified statement concerning
the cultural importance of the "P-lay Rouse." First, there is very little
documentary evidence concerning the performing arts in eighteenth century
North Carolina; second , none of the existing records on theater activity
documents the use of the playhouse in Halifax.
American theater had its beginning in 1716 in Williamsburg; later in
the colonial period theaters were begun in Charleston, Philadelphia, New
York, and Annapolis. During the period 1723-1776 a number of American
repertoire companies, such as the Murray-Kean, Hallam, Douglas, and New
American, operated on the stages of colonial towns and villages.3 Although
many of these companies traveled extensively along the eastern seaboard--
the Douglas Company, for example, played in Rhode Island, New York, Virginia,
and Charleston between 1761 and 1766--there is no evidence to indicate that
any of the groups operated in North Carolina. 4 Indeed, the only reference
to a performing theater company of any kind in North Carolina prior to 1776
appears in the correspondence of Governor William Tryon. On June 11, 1768,
Tryon wrote the Bishop of London concerning a Mr. Giffard, "a young man who
i s engaged wi t h a company of comed ians now in t h is province. • • • 115 Giffard
apparently wanted to l eave the stage to become an Anglican minister and felt
the governor's recommendation to the bishop would help his cause. A few
days later, on June 15, Tryon wrote Governor Samuel Ward of Rhode Island
concerning the same "company of comedians •• • " who were on their way
6 north, noting that their performance was "Decent , Orderly and proper ."
The company referred to by Tryon may have been a North Carolina group>
and although no record survives of their activities outside of New Bern,
it is entirely possible that they played in Halifax. 7
The first significant reference to theater activities in Halifax
appears in the years following the American Revolution. James Iredell
wrote about the activities of a traveling company of players in a letter
in the fall of 1787. He noted that at Halifax a performance of Dryden's
The Spanish Friar was advertised, but that lack of ticket sales kept the
doors closed. Commenting on the reason for the play's lack of success,
Iredell wrot~ "I am told the indelicacy of it was the cause, and if so,
I suppose it is very indelicate indeed."8 Although this reference to a
scheduled play in Halifax is important, it does not indicate where the
play was to be performed.
The pages of the North Carolina Journal, published at Halifax in the
later years of the eighteenth century, furnish the two best indications
of theater activity in Halifax . On January 1, 1794, the Journal carried
an advertisement for a one night performance of the "Messieurs Sully,"
then on their way to Charleston from Richmond. 9 The performance was to
be held at ''Mr. Barksdale's Long-Room." Another performance to be presented
at Barksdale's Tavern was advertised on May 21, 1794: "By authority. This
evening , (May 21st) At Mr. Barksdale's Ball-Room, will be performed, A Grand
and Miscellaneous Entertainment of Activity. In four Parts. by John W.
Roberts."10
It is important to note that neither of the performances, con-ducted
by professional groups, was scheduled for the "Play House," but for
one of the town's best known taverns. 11
-e Although there is no contemporary documentary evidence which indicates
that the playhouse was used for dramatic performances, there is presumptive
evidence which suggests that such a structure may have been used for some
type of public entertainment. Since Halifax was a key political, social,
and economic center in northeastern North Carolina from 1760 to the turn
of the nineteenth century, there is reason to believe that the town citizens
would have supported cultural activities such as drama. Certainly there
were educated persons among the town's citizens, and among the owners of
surrounding plantations, who would have enjoyed dramatic entertainment.
Waightstill Avery, on a visit to Halifax in 1769, noted that upon his ar-rival
in town he was greeted by three merchants and six attorneys and took
12 part in a "splendid Ball" in the evening. In 1778, the famous peripatetic
merchant Elkanah Watson commented that "the society in this vicinity is
considered among the most polished and cultivated in the State." 13
While the social life of Halifax may have been significant, it was
as a center of local government that the town made its main mark on the
Roanoke region. The town was the meeting place of the Halifax District
Superior Court of Justice, one of five judicial districts for the colony.
It was also the seat of the government for Halifax County. Thus, there
were probably as many as six terms of court held each year in the town,
two for the Halifax District which included several surrounding counties,
and four for the County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, an adminis-trative
as well as judicial body. During the sessions of the two courts
the town became a place "where all the inhabitants of the adjacent County
came, to Decide their Lawsuits and other Differences, and probably, then
also much business was carried on. .. 14
The court terms alone would have insured that Halifax had a large
transient population several times a year, but the fact that it was also
an imp ortant commercial cent er ~ having a tobacco inspection station and
storage warehouse~ and that it stood at a key ferry crossing on the Roanoke
River (serving the road from Edenton and Virginia to New Bern)~ further
increased the number of persons who would have been likely to visit the
15 town . Certainly the large number of taverns ~ such as the Crown (ca. 1766),
Martin's (ca. 1770), and Barksdale's (ca. 1785), which served Halifax from
1760 to 1800 suggests a significant transient population, a population which
would have desired entertainment . And since traveling theater companies
based at Norfolk and Williamsburg were actually moving through the colonies
in the 1760s , there is reason to believe that Halifax was a logical stop-over
. The audience was there and the main road link from Virginia to New
Bern passed through Halifax. Companies traveling by land from Williams-burg
to Charleston would have found Halifax a perfect place for a "one
night stand. "
Despite the paucity of documentary and architectural data on eighteenth
century buildings in Halifax~ a few facts concerning the "Play Rouse" are
known . The dimensions of the building identified by Sauthier as the "Play
Rouse" were approximately sixty feet long by thirty feet wide . These di-mensions
are based on a measurement of the structure depicted on the map.
If Sauthier's cartographic technique was consistent, as the r eports of the
departmental archaeological excavations at Brunswick Town and Bath sug-
16 gest, then the measurements should be reasonably accurate. The building
probably stood on Lot 111 of the original 120 town lots laid out in 1758
by the Trustees of Halifax. Location of the structure on Lot 111 is based
on the reconstruc tion of the original town plan grid by personnel of the
Division of Historic Sites and Museums. 17 The reconstructed plan is based
on the deed histories of town lots in Halifax, including those of the gaol,
Virginia Inn, Colonial Courthouse, and various houses. The locations of
all of these structures have been verified by on- site measurement.
The construction features of the playhouse are almost completely
unknown. All of the extant eighteenth century buildings in Halifax are
of frame construction. Indeed , it seems that, in light of available evi-dence,
there were virtually no brick buildings in the town until the early
decades of the nineteenth century. A contemporary visitor at Halifax in
1774 noted, for example , that there were "many handsome buildings" in the
town and that they were "constructed of timber and painted white."1 8
Thus, the playhouse was probably a frame building, mounted on some kind
of brick foundation , perhaps pillars.
Although the deed records examined thus far have not revealed any
specific evidence of a structure on Lot 111, two transactions are of par-ticular
interest. In 1767 Joseph Montfort , a noted Halifax citizen and
first Clerk of Court for the county, bought lots 110 and 111 from Richard
Hall. According to some records, Montfort subsequently donated Lot 111
to the Royal White Hart Lodge #2 to be used as the site of a lodge building.
The structure was never built, and the lot was apparently returned to
Montfort because it was sold in the settlement of his estate in 1778. In
1800 a transaction between John Whitaker and John Hannon mentions "houses"
on lots 109, 110, and 111. The deed did not specify, however, on what
lots the "houses" stood.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13 .
14.
FOOTNOTES
"Plan of the Town of Halifax, Halifax County, North Carolina [Reference
omitted] Survey'd and Drawn in June 1769. By C, J, Sauthier." British
Museum, London, King George III's Topographical Collection, Table CXXII,
58, photocopy in Archives, Division of Archives and History, Raleigh,
hereinafter cited as Sauthier Map.
Archibald Henderson, North Carolina , the Old North State and the New
(Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company, 1941), 640.
Hugh F. Rankin, The Theater in Colonial America (Chapel Hill: University
of North Carolina Press, 1965), 8 ££.,hereinafter cited as Rankin,
The Theater in Colonial America.
Rankin, The Theater in Colonial America, 92.
William L. Saunders (ed.), The Colonial Records of North Carolina (Raleigh:
State of North Carolina, 10 volumes, 1886-1890), VII, 787.
Alonzo T. Dill, Governor Tryon and His Palace (Chapel Hill : The University
of North Carolina Press, 1955), 229.
Rankin, The Theater tn Colonial America, 141.
Griffith J. McRee, Life and Correspondence of James Iredell (New York: Appleton
2 volumes, 1857-1858), II, 157. ·'
North Carolina Journal (Halifax), January 1, 1794, hereinafter cited
as North Carolina Journal.
North Carolina Journal, May 21, 1794.
Barksdale's Tavern stood on Lot 51 in Halifax. For documentation, see
the report on the Eagle Tavern, Part II, Section B.
Harry R. Merrens, Colonial North Carolina in the Eighteenth Century:
A Study in Historical Geography (Chapel Hill: University of North
Carolina Press, 1964), 157, hereinafter cited as Merrens, Colonial
North Carolina.
Winslow C. Watson (ed . ), Men and Times of the Revolution, or Memoirs
of Elkanah Watson (New York: Dana and Company, 1856), 58
Merrens, Colonial North Carolina, 157.
15. Blackwell P. Robinson, William R. Davie (Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina Press, 1955), 147-148, hereinafter cited as Robinson,
William R. Davie; see also Merrens, Colonial North Carolina, 143- 158.
16. " Excavation Report Unit 510 . Lot 29, Brunswick Town, North Carolina :
Nath Moore's Front , 1728-1776," 23 ff. and "An Examination of the
Area of the Garden at the Palmer- Marsh House [B ath] ," 1-6. Reports
by Stanley A. South . archaeologist for Department of Archives and
History. 1965. (Cop i es of report s on file in the Archaeology Section,
Division of Archives and History, Raleigh.)
17. Reconstruction of the town grid was a combined effort involving Stanley
A. South. A. L. Honeycutt, Jr ., and various members of the Halifax
community.
18. Robinson, William R. Davie. 143.
June
---------
II. CHAIN OF TITLE
7, 1758 (Deed Book 6, p. 291). John Gibson, Richard Browning, Robert
Jones, Jr . , Commissioners of the town of Halifax to Samuel Hardy of
Edgecombe County, "two lots in the said town of Halifax containing one
half acre each and numbered in the plan of said Town 111 and 114 . "
October 29 , 1765 (Deed Book 9, p. 243). Samuel Hardy of Halifax County
to Richard Hall of Halifax County for 50 pounds proclamation money,
"Two certain lots of land lying in the town of Halifax aforesaid
containing one half acre each and distinguished by number one
hundred and one and eleven in the plan of the said Town."
January 12, 1767 (Deed Book 9, p. 523). Richard Hall of Halifax to Joseph
Montfort of the same town and county for 50 pounds lawful money, "two
Lotts of land in the said town of Halifax numbered in the plan thereof
110 and 111 being the same lotts purchased by said Hall of Samuel Hardy."
December 10, 1778 (Deed Book 14, p. 182). Henry Montfort, executor of the
last will and testament of Joseph Montfort of Halifax to Charles Pasteur
for 50 pounds proclamation money, "six lotts in the Town of Halifax as
by plan of the said Town No. 109, 110, 111, 114, 116, aforesaid."
May 17 1 1794 (Deed Book 17, p. 634) . Lunsford Long et al, executors of the
last will and testament of· Doctor Charles Pasteur for 42 pounds and 5
shillings, "Three lotts or half acres of land, known & distinguished
on the map on plan of said town by Number One Hundred & Nine (No . 109).
Number One Hundred & Ten (No. 110), and Number One Hundred & Eleven (111)."
April 25 3 1800 (Deed Book 18, pp. 593-594). John Whit.aker esquire, attorney
for the ~£ustees of the University of North Carolina to John Hannon
for 20 pounds, 7 shillings current money of North Carolina, "the lots
and houses in the town of Halifax known and destinghuished by No . 109,
110, and 111 as will appear in the plan of said town saving and reserv­ing
to Nancy Kay relict of John Kay now widow of Johnson her right and
dower in the said lots and houses, which said lots and houses became
the property of the Trustees by escheat in virtue of an act of the
General Assembly of North Carolina in that case made and provided."
September 13, 1803 (Deed Book 19, p. 346). John Hannon of the town of Halifax
to Jesse Rhymes of the town of Halifax for 20 pounds, 7 shillings,
current money of Virginia, "three lots or half acres of land in the
Town of Halifax , known & distinguished by the number one hundred &
nine, one hundred & ten, & one hundred & eleven as will appear in
the plan of said Town, saving & reserving to Nancy Kay now Nancy
Haxhall. her right & dower in said lots. • • • "
May 18 , 1808 (Deed Book 21, pp. 182-183) . Jesse Rhymes to Isaac Hilliard
$200 , htwo lots or half acres of land lying in the town of Halifax
and distinguished in the plan of said Town by the nos 110 and 111. 11
• February 23, 1810 (Deed Book 21 , p . 372). Jesse Rhymes to Isaac Hilliard
for fifty silver dollars. Conveys four acres and lots 110 and 111.
SeemS to be a repeat of the transaction above.
January 28, 1811 (Deed Book 21, p . 504). Isaac Hilliard to William Burt
for $200, "two lots or half acres land lying in the Town of Halifax
and distinguished in the plan of said Town by No . 110 and 111."
June 13, 1821 (Deed Book 25, p. 372). M. H. Pettway, Sheriff to Thomas
Burgess for $10.00 Sheriff ' s sale of Lot 111, apparently in possession
of a Giles Clark.
August 13, 1834 (Deed Book 29, p . 80). Thomas Burgess to David Hagerdon,
George H. Spaulding, and Enock King for $50.00, " one lot situated in
the Town of Halifax described in plan of said Town One Hundred and
Eleven (No. 111) formerly in the occupancy of Giles Clark and Dolly
Moss."
March 22, 1860 (Deed Book 35, p . 21). Margaret J. Halliday by Edwd .
Conigland her attorney to Thomas B. Russell for $100, "two lots of
half an acre each situated within the corporate limits of the Town of
Halifax • • • and known as the place on map of said Town as Lots
Numbered respectively One Hundred And ten and One Hundred and Eleven
being near the dwelling house of A. V. Russell, and now or lately
occupied by said A. V. Russell." Note : Russell's house was probably
on lot 92 - -see Deed Book 29, p . 82 and Deed Book 35, p. 15.
December 18, 1893 (Deed Book 108, p . 77). Ellen Dickerson and husband,
Joel Dickerson, of the State of Massachusetts to H. B. Furgerson of
Halifax for $20.00, "All that piece of or lot of land situated in the
Town of Halifax, North Carolina bordered on the North by the lands used
as a burying ground for the Colored people, on the east by the Magazine
Spring Branch, on the South by the lands or lots known as the Shade
Johnson lots and on the North by the lot on Granville Street numbered
on the plot of the Town of Halifax as Lot No . and lying immediately
in the rear of Lot No. " This probably describes lots 110 and 111 .
April 15 , 1897 (Deed Book 117, p. 422). H. B. Fergerson and wife toR.
T. Daniel, Trustee for the Bank of Weldon, for $400 , 11 all that piece
of or lot of land situated in the Town of Halifax, North Carolina,
bordered on the North by the lands used as burying ground for the
Colored people, on the east by the Magazine Spring Branch, on the
South by the lands or lots known as the Shade Johnson lots and on the
North by the lot on Granville Street numbered on the ?lot of the Town
of Halifax as lot No. ______ and lying immediately in the rear of lot
No . " This deed of trust was not cleared and apparently the lots
passed out of Fergerson's possession.
Lot 111 is c urrently owned by the Historic Halifax Restoration Associ­ation,
Inc.
III. ARCHAIDLOGY REPORT
by Stuart C. Schwartz
August 15, 1970
The archaeologist was sent to Historic Halifax State Historic Site to
attempt to locate early structures which were depicted on C. J. Sauthier's
map of Halifax drawn in 1769. Examination of the playhouse lot in Halifax
was the initial archaeological project for Halifax State Historic Site in
1970.
The data gathered by the research unit of the Division of Historic Sites
and Museums, State Department of Archives •. nd History, suggested that Lot 111
was the site of the playhouse although no actual description or reference to a
structur e on this lot has yet been found. Lot 111 today covers essentially the
same area of ground that the trustees of Halifax sold in 1758.
A visual survey of the lot indicated several places where a foundation
might be located. These areas had been pointed out to Harry Reifsnyder, site
manager , by Stanley A. South, former departmental archaeologist, when Mr.
South excavated the ruin of the Constitution House adjoining Lot 111 . Probing
with a steel rod proved impossible due to the nature of the soil--hard clay
which was dried out because of the lack of rain. Pick and shovel excavation
in a ten- foot square revealed no significant findings. The excavation did
2
reveal , however, that the excavated areas had very little topsoil (A or A
Ho rizon). A few traces of possible early buildings were uncovered in the
square dug on the lot, including brick rubble and mortar flecks, but the
artifacts found did not include handmade nails (roseheads) or window glass
which would have indicated the presence of a colonial structure. Auger borings
into several other squares and areas of Lot 111 indicated that the subsoil
(B Horizon) was sterile as predicted; no trace of builder ' s trenches dug into
the subsoil were located. The site was inspected by soil scientists from the
United States Department of Agriculture and North Carolina State University.
Both groups concluded that natural erosion and/or removal of topsoil had
eliminated approximately six to eight inches of soil. Stratigraphy in adjoining
areas proved to their satisfaction that this conclusion was correct.
1
Since the initial square failed to reveal any evidence of an early struc­ture,
efforts were increased to locate other possible foundations. Four addi-tional
squares were surveyed on Lot 112. These squares were placed over some
bricks jutting through the sod. On the assumption that these bricks were
embedded in the subsoil, the area surrounding them was opened for exploration.
It became apparent that on Lot 112 the stratigraphy differed radically from
that on Lot 111. This fact tended to corroborate the opinion of the soil
scientists concerning the soil strata on Lot 111. The examination of the
square on Lot 112 failed to indicate evidence of foundations. A long trench
placed to cut across both lots 111 and 112 and a possible roadway also proved
futile, except to indicate that the depression between these two lots was not
the road cut that it appeared to be. A trench through a shallow raised earth
mound between lots 111 and 91 provided no additional clues for the archaeologist.
The archaeological investigation of the playhouse site presented a number
of significant problems. Lot 111, the supposed site of this structure, is
presently located according to a marker based on twentieth century surveys of
the town of Halifax. The marker is at the southwestern corner of Granville
Street (extended) where it joins Market Street (extended). Neither of these
streets originally extended into the common area. Indeed, only a WPA project
made Market Street a usable road in the old town common. Working with the
Sauthier map and the scale accepted for it (1/4"=60'), it was determined that
the area of excavation was,in fact, the correct lot and general area thought
to be the playhouse site. The size of a lot sold off in 1758 was approximately
one-half acre, the exact frontage and width being unknown. The present tax map
413 shows lots 106 through 113 in essentially their original orientation;
possibly the dimensions of the lots are the same but this is not a certainty.
The 1757 law authorizing the establishment of Halifax specified that one
hundred and twenty lots were to be laid out in the new town, and that streets,
2 alleys, and public areas were to be established. Some of the present lots
measure more than t.!.~ one-half acre. If the original lot was about the same
dimensions as the present one, then the sear ch , conducted by scraping the sur­face
with a bucket loader, should have tu . ~ed up something in the nature of
a foundation or builder's trench. Looking for a building, however, that might
have set on piers, on a lot 26,000 feet square, which hap its top layers pre-viously
removed, was a nearly impossible task.
Additional excavation on Lot 90 was also completed with a similar lack of
success. Excavation here ~as prompted by another look at the maps and a
possible determination that the site might be on this adjoining lot. Mechanical
excavation produced nothing. All that was found were the remains of the nine-teenth
and twentieth century dumping areas of the town which had changed its
focal point to the new courthouse square one block southeast, at which time
the old common apparently became a refuse dump. This area was bulldozed to
clear it for public use after the state acquired it, but the subsoil remained
untouched. The scraping removed more of the trash but yielded little else.
Further excavation in Halifax at the site of the second jail helped to
verify the placement of Lot 111, but failed to answer essential questions about
the playhouse. It is listed with other prominent structures on the 1769
Sauthier map, i.e., the "Courthouse," "Gaol," "Hampe Stor"fi>r Hemp Storagy,
and "Tobaco Stor" ~r Tobacco StoragiJ warehouse. If the scaling of the map
is accurate, the location of Lot 111 would place the building on privately
owned property. The research report s upplied to the archaeologist indicates
no references which mention a structure of this sort on this property. It
would seem logical that the owner of a playhouse for public use and personal
profit would have advertised it; but the sources are scarce and no such adver-tisement
appears in those that are ava ilable.
Some sources indicate that the l o t was given by Joseph Montfort to the
Masonic Lodge . whi ~h implies that Masonic meetings may have been held in a
stru cture on the property. Again no evidence exists in the available documents
to verify the theory. The land, Lot 111, wa s listed as still belonging to
Montfort when his estate was settled in the late 1770s.
Artifact Analysis
Examination of the datable artifacts, the earliest of which are fragments
of green shell- edged earthe nware representing three plate rims, indicate a
date for the habitation of the site of early nineteenth century. This type of
3 ceramic was not imported into American until 1800. The majority of the sherds
are transfer-printed earthenware, the colors of the decals being black, red,
brown, purple, and blue. This decorative style was popular during the first
quarter of the nineteenth century. Additional ceramic fragments representing
types that were introduced in the late eighteenth century are also present in
Slllall numbers. These include "annular wares" and polychromed pearlware
popular between 1795 and 1815, as well as plain white earthenware , porcelain,
and stoneware, but their continued usage well into the late 1800s makes
definitive dating an impossibility .
Nail fragments are of types in use after 1820. Excavated glass fragments
produced a mixture of wine bottle and mason jar pieces. The usefulness of all
these items is that they point up the nature of the area as a whole . The site
may have contained a nineteenth century structure that was destroyed "in situ, "
or the land may have been used as part of a dump for household debris. A
refuse dump existed nearby, and the Constitution House stood a sho rt distance
4
to the south. Farming or landfill could have easily moved artifactal remains
onto the property in question . In either case no evidence indica tes an
eighteenth century structure on the site.
The above analysis of the artifacts does not indicate a use of the property
during the period that Sauthier ascribed a building to it . Cultural material
reeovered does include fragments of occupat ional items such as bowls, plates,
mugs, and saucers, but structural remains in stratigraphic relationship indi-eating
a building were lacking. No artifacts could be dated to the period of
the founding of Halifax. Additionally, no artifacts which might be indicative
of a theater or playhouse were found in the excavation. One might have expected
to find make-up vials, buttons, or possible lighting devices, if a building were
used as a theater, even infrequently.
Lot 111 was often sold with Lot 110 and other lots. No specific mention
of buildings is indicated, and research in Halifax deeds reveals nothing.
Removal of topsoil has prevented any further archaeological investigation.
J
-
FOOl' NOTES
1. Author's interview with Clemmon Bridgers, conservation technician
and Jerry Gordon, district conservationist, United States Department
of Agriculture, June 23, 1970. Soil probing by Joe Covington, soil
scientist, United States Department c f Agriculture, on June 24, 1970.
Also interview with Louis Aull, soil s cientiet, North Carolina State
University, and Clyde Peedin, Halifax County Agent on July 27, 1970.
2. Walter Clark (ed..), The State Records of North Carolina (Winston and
Goldsboro: State of North Carolina, 16 volumes,numbered XI - XXVI,
1895-1914), XXV, 354-355 .
3. Ivor Noel Hume, "Pearlware: Forgotten Milestone of English Ceramic
History," Antiques, March, 1969.
4. Report on the excavation of the Constitution House ruin by Stanley A.
South on file in the Research Laboratory for Historical Archaeology,
State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh. See also the
report on the Constitution House, Part II, Section C.
IV. ILLUSTRATIONS
.....'.
I
. ...'
.... . ' i : - :·. .
, .. ..:
....
...
...
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, ..
....
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, ..
' . ·-
.>
'• ftr.-. .-..; .. ,
•
?1 atE> 1
B. Archaeological Excavations, 1970
(3 plates)
Part of crew exc::tvating at the Pl ay""use site . TT" nr1-:~-...-!':>unri i.> thf•
Town n and present (third) .iail bnil_ding .
Plate 2
Excavat d sauare on Playhouse site showing t wo cl ay layers and no
occupation stratum.
•
\
Plate J
P1 ayhouse area being me chanica ll y scraoecl jn nrder t f) l "'Catc :'r>~ t~,; r·r>.-,
which might i ndi cate the T'resence of a structui'(:' .
-'
HISTORICAL RESEARCH REPORT
FOR THE
EAGLE TAVERN, IJJr 51
HAI.Ili'AX, NORTH CAROUNA
~ Jerry L. Cro8s
Septeaber, 1973
- /I'ABIE OF CONTENTS
I . Eagle Tavern: Lot 51
II. Appendixes
A. Chain of Title for Eagle Hotel Lots
B. Lots 76 and 95: The other Eagle Tavern
C. Michael Ferrall and His Family
Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4.
Part 5.
Part 6 .
Biographical Sketch
Inventory of Estate of Michael Ferrall
Ferrall-Gary Genealogical Chart
Ferrall-Gary Vault and Cemetery Inscriptions
Epitaphs on Graves at Colonial Cemetery
Will of Nannie Marie Gary (with transcription)
D. Pertinent Documents
Part l.
Part 2 .
Part 3 .
Part 4.
III. Illustrations
Abstract of Jesse Rhymes' Inventory with Reference
to Eagle Hotel
Benjamin F. Gary Application for Guardianship of
Sterling M. Gary
Guardian Account of ~ . M. Gary Estate
Letter from Farrel Oakes Regarding Sugar Dish
A. Eagle Tavern, 1972
B. Section of Sauthier Map of Halifax Showing Original
and Present Site of Eagle Tavern
C-1. Ferrall-Gary Vault
C-2. Family Cemetery
C- 3 . Colonial Cemetery
D. Autographed Portrait of lafayette
E. "Lafayette Sugar Dish "
-
PREFACE
Plans to relocate the Ferrall-Gary house in Halifax, traditionally
called the Eagle Tavern, within the Historic Halifax State Historic Site
demanded that an in-depth research report be undertaken. The search for
information included genealogical and deed research, examination of state
and local records, reading of contemporary newspapers, and close perusal
of family papers. The history of a house can be compiled only in terms of
the people who owned or lived in it and the events with which it was in­volved.
The completed report is thus predominately a social history of
the Eagle Tavern.
Readere of this report will note that the terms tavern and ordinary
are frequently interchanged. The researchers were aware that in England
taverns, inns, and ordinaries had separate and distinct functions . In '
early Halifax, however, the terms were synonymous and remained so until the
development of the Eagle Hotel . The first recorded distinction between pub­lic
facilities (tavern and hotel) occurs about the time of Lafayette's visit
in 1825. A more detailed study of the General's stay at the hotel can be
foun:i in "Gene ral Lafayette Visits Halifax," a research report on file in
the researchers' office in the Historic Sites and Museums Section of the
Divieion of Archives and History.
This research report on the Eagle Tavern traces the history of the
building to about 1845. At that time it appears to have been moved to its
present site where it has since remained as a private residence . Long be -
fore the outbreak of the Civil War, the historical significance of the
Eagle Tavern had been established.
It would be impossible to acknowledge individually all of the as­sistance
received while this project has been underway; however, we would
like to thank Mrs. Margaret Hofmann, Mrs. Helen Boykin, The Most Reverend
Vincent s. Waters, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, The
Very Reve rend Gerald L. Lewis, Chancellor of the Diocese of Raleigh, and
Mr. Ray S. Wilkinson, Chairman of the Historic Halifax Restoration As ­sociation.
-- THE EAGLE TAVERN
Lot 51
The Eagle Tavern, now located on the southwestern outskirts of the
Halifax historic district, originally stood on the site presently occupied
by the Andrew Jackson School . Records indicate that it was part of a
hotel complex whos e construction began before the American Revolution. The
Eagle Hotel, of which the tavern apparently was a part, was one of the
most popular establishments in Halifax, and it played an important role in
the political and social activity of the town.
Existence of the house around which the Eagle Hotel developed can be
traced to the early 1760s. It was constructed on lot number 51 of the town
plan by Alexander Elmsey, a prominent Halifax lawyer who served in the
North Carolina House of CollUilons and later as a special agent to Parliament. 1
The construction date can be placed historically between 1758 and 1763,
and the structure appears on the Sauthier Map of 1769.
2
Elmsey sold the
property and all houses to Blake Baker and Abner Nash in 1763.3 Nash later
became the second governor of the state of North Carolina. 4 In June, 1770,
Mary Baker, widow of Blake Baker, sold the property to William Martin. 5
Marti.n converted the house into a tavern sometime before 1774. Com-parati
vely little is known about the proprietor, but Martin' s Tavern
became a popular establishment , and for an unknown period of time was
called the "Sign of the Thistle. n
6 John Smyth, an Englishman touring the
colonies, visited the tavern in 1774 and described it as "the best house
of public entertainment in Halifax." 7 The "Sign of the Thistle" stood a
block northeast of the old courthouse, and undoubtedly many political
decisions were made over a tankard of ale. The Royal White Hart Lodge
(Masonic) f requently conducted business at "Mr. Martin's," and continued
to meet at the tavern under Martin's successors.
8
In addition, Halifax
hosted two provincial congresses during the American Revolution. 9 Records
indicate that the tavern was the site of important decisions concerning
North Carolina ' s pArticipation in the drive for independence.
10
Sometime after the Revolution, the name "Sign of the Thistle" was
drop?ed. In 1786, William Barksdale, a Halifax merchant and businessman,
was granted a tavern license to operate "at the house commonly known by
the name of William Martin' s Ordinary in the Town of Halifax. ,ll For
several years, Barksdale leased the tavern from Martin , and after the
latter's death, Barksdale purchased the property from the estate of the
deceased. 12
Barksdale apparently kept the tavern in continuous operation. In
1792 , the county court issued an ordinary license "to William Barksdale at
his dwelling house in Halifa.x. " 13 A reward notice in 1793 for the return
of a day book stolen from his bar proves that Barksdale ' s Tavern was oper­ating
that year. 14 Entertainers who passed through Halifax, especially
in 1794, frequently used Barksdale's establishments as the place for a
performance:
January 1. The Messieurs SULLYS ••• will exhibit their Surprising
Feats in I.OFI'Y TUMBLING • • • • [a ball to follow at Mr .
Barksdale's long room]
January 29 . George Gr een to present an exhibition • • • at the ball­room
of Mr . Barksdale ' s Tavern.
May 21. ••• At Mr. Barksdale's Bal l - Room will be performed a 15 Grand and Miscellaneous Entertainment by John W. Roberts.
Sp ecial celebrations, such as Independence Day, were spent "in joyous
festivitY'' and closed with na splendid ball at Mr . Barksdale ' s wng-Room11 •
16
The long room (sometimes referred to as ball room) must have been a
fairly spacious facility either adjoining the tavern or within a short
walking distance. Two facts indicate that i t was probably not a part of
the original structure. First, the tavern originally had been built as a
dwelling house and later converted into a public establishment. Even if
Elmsey had included a ballroom in his home , it seems unlikely that it would
have been large enough for public perfonnances. Secondly, notices of public
entertainment refer specifically to the l ong room, while business trans­actions
call for attendance at the tavern. 17 This evidence is far from
conclusive, but it does appear that Barksdale either expanded his tavern
facilities, or acquired a separate structure, in order to accommodate large
numbers of people for special events.
William Barksdale owned a tobacco warehouse in Halifax, in addition to
the tavern and several lots, but his financial difficulties between 1795
and 1797 indicate that h e wa s not a good businessman. When he purchased
the Martin property in 1795, he was forced to place it under mortgage to
18 James ~e, presumably because he did not have the cash for payment. In
May, 1797, ~e threatened to sell the property if Barksdale did not meet
his obligations. 19 Meanwhile, in 1796, tobacco inspector s inventoried
Barksdale's warehouse and discovered that 240 hogsheads were missing and
"it is expected many more that is not yet discovered. n 20 Barksdale must
have repaid the debt to LYne because his heirs retained possession of the
property, but if there is any connection between the missing hogsheads of
tobacco and the repayment of the debt, it cannot be verified through the
existing records. William Barksdale died intestate at Rocky Swamp some-
21 time before February 26 , 1798.
--
--
Before his death Barksdale apparently leased his tavern to Joshua
Hopkins who 09erated the establishment from 1796 to 1798. 22
He may have
continued operations until 1800, but the records do not refer to the tavern
after 1798 . In the latter year, Hopkins's Tavern seems to have declined
in popularity, been succeeded by Tabb ' s Tavern a few blocks southwest. 23
Perhaps to compensate for a lack of business, Hopkins rented space in his
tavern to C. F. Huguenin, a watchmaker, who set up a retail shop. Huguenin
not only made and repaired watches, but sold gold rings, necklaces, earrings ,
and a variety of jewelry as well. 24 Although it may be only coincidental,
the popularity of the tavern declined as Barksdale's financial difficulties
reached their peak. A tavern structure continued to exist on lot number
51, but a quarter of a century would pass before it would again play a
prominent role in the history of Halifax.
In 1800, John Hannon leased "for two years the large and commodius
house known as Martin's Tavern. He has employed a number of journeymen and
continues as a tailor also. n
25 Now referred to as Hannon's Tavern, the
establishment served as a meeting place for various organizations, par-ticularly
the officers of both the local militia and the Roanoke Navigation
Company. 26 There are no references to the tavern between the expiration of
Hannon's lease and 1815. In 1808, however, only one tavern operated in the
town of Halifax, and that was run by James Ladd on lot number 34. 27
By
1812, Ladd's only town competitor was James Faucett whose facility was
28
located near the present courthouse; consequently, the tavern on lot
number 51 must have reverted to a private residence during those years.
Benjamin Williams was living on the property, but the existing records do
not suggest that he had any connection with the t avern on lot 51.29
Williams must have leased the property from the Barksdale heirs in whose
hands the lots remained until they were sold in 1817.
Benjamin F. Halsey and his wife Cleopatra (daughter of William Barksdale),
were among the legal heirs, and through division of Barksdale's estate in
1815, they acquired lots numbered 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51.30 Two years later,
they sold "five lotts or two and a half acres of Land together will all
\
t he improvements thereon • • • Known as t he Tavern & Stable lotts Coupland
& McCullocks lotts numbered in the plan of Said Town fi.t'ty (50) & Twenty
nine (29) ••• " to Jesse Rhymes, William Burt, Hutchins G. Burton, and
Robert Johnston. 31 The property remained in multiple ownership until 1841,
but while the title rights are somewhat confusing, the history of the
tavern is relatively clear.
Sometime before 1824, the tavern had become part of a larger complex
known as the Eagle Hotel. Thomas Gary, proprietor in that year, solicited
public patronage through the local newspaper, and references to former
occupancy by Henry Garrett and John Gary indicate that the Eagle Hotel had
32
been operating as such for several years. The 1820s mark the second
period of great popularity for the establishment on lot number 51. The
New Hope Races were o.t'ten followed by a ball "at the Eagle Hotel, in the
town of Halifax. n33 But of all the social events in which the hotel was
involved, none was more significant than the visit of General Lafayette in
1825.
The Committee on Arrangements made elabora~e plans for the reception
of the General. Arriving amidst much pageantry, Lafayette was escorted to
the piazza of the hotel where he was welcomed by Major Allen Jones Davie,
son of William R. Davie, deceased comrade-in-arms and friend of the Genera1. 34
Lafayette lodged in the hotel on the night of February 27 and was f~ted with
an elegant banquet prepared byE~ P. Guion.35
Although the r ecords concerning Lafayette's visit refer only to "the
Hotel," there are several r easons to believe that he stayed in the Eagle
Hotel on lot number 51. First of all, the Eagle Hotel, according to enter-tainnent
ann01mcements, was a popular social center only three months before
Lafayette• s visit. Furthenoore, references to "the Hotel" suggest that no
other such facility existed in Halifax at that time, and there was, conse-quently,
no need to spell out the full name of the establishment every time
it was mentioned.
Secondly, Allen Jones Davie, in his welcoming address, alluded to the
formation of the state constitution and the meeting of provincial congresses
(1776) "under this roof. n
36 The records indicate that the Eagle Hotel,
which had begun as Martin's "Sign of the Thistle," was the only public
facility dating from the Revolution and still in use. 37
Thirdly, the townspeople formed an "avenue from the Main Street to the
porch of the Hotel."38 Of the known tavern lots in Halifax in 1825, only
the structure on lot nunber 51 sat sufficiently far enough from the street
for such an avenue to form. J9
Finally, E. P. Guion had received a tavern license in August, 1824,
and it was still valid when he prepared Lafayette's dinner in February,
1825 . 40 Since Thomas Gary apparently was operating the hotel at which the
General stayed, one of two conclusions seems logical. Guion was either an
employee of the hotel, or the dinner was held at a tavern that may or may e not have been a part of the Eagle Hotel complex. Had Guion been an employee
of the hotel, he would not have needed a tavern license; instead, Thomas
Gary, the proprietor, would have required a license to retail spiritous
liquors. No such authorization was granted to Gary.
41
It thus appears that
Guion operated a tavern not connected physically to the Eagle Hotel; however,
the two seem to have been in close proximity, and the tavern also appears to
have served as the dining establishment for the Eagle Hotel. complex. Docu­mentation
for this conclusion requires backtracking to 1817' the year Robert
Johnston purchased one-fourth interest in the five lots later "called the
Eagle Hotel. ,42.
Six years after purchase, Robert Johnsto~, in order to secure his debts,
deeded to Mark H. Pettway, Hutchins G. Burton, and Robert Jones " . • • all
his right title interest part & proportion into a certain house & let &
their appurtenances lying on main & cross streets usually called the Big
Tavern. • • • n43 Burton, as trustee, advertised the sale of Johnston' s
interest in the Big Tavern in 1824.44 This sale may have been consumated,
but the records are vague. In 1829, Joel H. McLemore leased "that large
and commodius house formerly !mown as Big Tavern to run as Eagle Hotel • • • • .. 45
The possibility that the Ea~le Hotel had been renamed Big Tavern, only to
be changed back by McLemore, is removed by the payments of $15.35 to John
46 .
Hill in 1828 for repair work on the Eagle Hotel. Also, Mark Pettway's
relinquishment of his interest in "the Big or Eagle Tavern" to Sarah W.
Burton in 1836 clearly proves that only one tavern is involved. 47 That
establishment was located on lots numbered 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51, most
frequently called the Eagle Hote1.48
The most logical conclusion for the existence of an Eagle Hotel and a
Big Tavern is that a name was needed to distinguish between the structures
for deed purposes. Apparently, during the years of multiple ownership, the
older Ftructure retained thE> name Eagle Hotel , while the newer dining
facility becam e known a s the Big Tavern (perhap s a r eference to its siz e) .
The Big Tave rn seems to have disappeare d after Sarah Burton acquired three­fourths
of lots numbered 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51 in 1836 . 49
Sarah Burton sold her three-fourths inter est in the Eagle Hot el lots to
Michael Ferrall in Novembe r, 18)8. 5° Ferrall moved onto the premises and
three years later bought the remaining one-fourth part from Isaac and Frances
Faulcon. 51 For the first time since 1817, the Eagle Hotel lots were under
single owne r ship.
Michae l Ferrall was a ver,y successful r eta il merchant who amassed ex-tensive
pro?e rty holdings in and around Halifax. Much of his land came with
his marriage to Mary Elizabeth E-p?e s , a member of one of the most prominent
and wealthy Halifax famili es. By 1840, the center of activity in the town
had s hifted southwestward toward the new Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
As a retail merchant, Ferrall wished to keep in the mainstream of activity;
consequently, about 1840 Ferrall r elocated his wares in a store several
blocks southwest, near the perimeter of the original town plan. 52 Descen­dants
of Michael Ferrall claim that he moved part of the Eagle Hotel a few
years later to use as a private residence. The house remained in the family
and was most recently occupied by Ferrall' s great-granddaughter, Miss Nannie
M. Gar,y. 53 Architectural historians agree that the Gary house was moved to
its present site from some other place. They also have stated that the
structure appears to be of late eighteenth century vintage. 54
Residents of Halifax have referr ed to the Gary house as the Eagle
Tavern for many years. Exhaustive research has failed to document the c laim
beyond question; however, a number of isolated fact s indicate that it may
well be true. Family papers state that Michael Ferrall moved the Gary
-- house, or Eagle Tavern, to its present location from one of his lots in the
older district. Ferrall did own the lots on which the Eagle Hotel sat in
1845, and his decision to relocate his retail store about that same time has
been documented previously. This falls into line with the absence of any
mention of the Eagle Hotel as a public facility after 1839,55 two years
before Ferrall acquired full title to the property. There is little doubt
that Ferrall's grandson (by marriage), Sterling Marshall Gary, through his
guardian, Benjamin F. Gary, rented "the Hotel" as a private dwelling.
John N. Brown leased the structure for $95 annually for an unknown period
of time. 56 Finally, the tentative date established for the construction of
the Gary house indicates that it was built about the time William Barksdale
expanded his tavern facilities on lot number 51. None of these facts proves
conclusively that the Gru:y house was ever .p a.r.. tf,t .o'f- the Eagle Hotel, but such
circumstantial evidence is strong support for the validity of the claim.
In conclusion, it appears that the Gary house was constructed in the
late 1700s as an addition to the expanded tavern operations on lot number 51.
By the 1820s, the facilities had grown large enough to be tenned the Eagle
Hotel, consisting of several buildings. The Gary house . ~; ambng-~lieser··~ -
buildings and may well have been the tavern and dining room for the complex.
It could not have be~n the hotel itself because that structure, according
.... , .... - to Allen Jones Davie, dated from the era of the American Revolution. If the
Gary hc:mse did serve as the tavern for the Eagle Hotel, then the name Eagle
Tavern, strange indeed for a private residence, is easily understood. Ferra.ll
logically would have moved the newer addition for a residence, which explains
the family claim that only pa.rt of the Eagle Hotel was moved about 1845·
The Eagle Hotel, with its pre-Revolutionary origins, played a prominent
role in the history of North Carolina, and through association, the Eagle
Tavern has shared that fame. The only documented historical event of sig­nificance
with which the Eagle Tavern was directly associated was the visit
of General Lafayette in 1825. Local tradition often embellishes actual
facts, and residents of Halifax have credited the Eagle Tavern wi~h events
that more properly belong to the older Eagle Hotel. Nevertheless, the
Eagle Tavern is significant in its own right. Having been constructed in
the late eighteenth century, it is one of few surviving structures to have
participated in the "Golden Age" of Halifax.
FoorNOI'ES
l. Blackwell P. Robinson , William R. Davie (Chapel Hill:
North Carolina Press, 1957), 142.
University of
2. June 7, 1758, was the day the Trustees of Halifax sold town lots to vari­ous
individuals. June 13, 1763 , was the day Elmsey sol d the lots and
houses to Blake Baker and Abner Nash. Halifax County Deed Books, Office
of the Register of Deeds, Halifax County Courthouse, Halifax, Deed Book
9, pp. 43 - 44, hereinafter cit ed as Halifax Deed Book. See a lso "Plan
of the Town of Halifax, Halifax County, North Carolina ffi.eference omit­tei/
Survey' d and Drawn in June, 1769, By c, J, Sauthier." British
Museum, London, King George III's To pographical Collection, Ta ble CXXII,
58, photocopy in Archives, Division of Archives and History, Raleigh.
Over lay of town plan drawn to scale ~ Jerry L. Cross, researcher,
Division of Archives and History, Raleigh, from "A Draught of Halifax
Plan of the town of Halifax in Roanoke River NO Carolina laid out 1758,"
Person Family Papers, OP #590, Southern Historical Collection, University
of North Carolina, Ch apel Hill, discovered ~ Margaret Hofmann of Roanoke
Rapids in 19?1. Sauthier Map with overlay hereinafter cited as Sauthier
Map .
3 . Halifax Deed Book 9, pp. 43-44.
4 . Beth Crabtree, North Carolina Governors 1 8 - 1 8 (Raleigh: State .Depart­ment
of Archives and History, 1958 , 48, hereinafter cited as Crabtree,
North Caroli.na Governors.
5. On August 18, 1'768, Abner Nash and his wife, Justina, had sold their in­terest
to Blake Baker. Baker died leaving the property to his wife a s
executrix of his will. Halifax Deed Book 10, p. 285, Deed Book 11 , p .
47 . Justina Nash had married royal Governor Arthur Dobbs while a young
girl. Widowed ~Dobbs' death, she then married Abner Nash, thus be­coming
the wife of two governors of North Carolina . She is buried in
the old colonial cemetery in Halifax.
6. Letter to New Age Magazine from Halifax, 1927, probably written by Ster­l
ing Marshall Gary, Gary Papers, now in possession of Historic Sites
and Museums Section of the 'Division of Archives and History; Minutes of
Royal White Hart Lodge No . 2, Anniversary of St . John the Evangelist,
1770, copies in the Gary Papers .
7. Recorded on a tour through Halifax in 1774. J. F. D. Smyth, A Tour of
the United States of America, 2 vols. (London: For G. Robinson , 1784),
I, 88.
8. The lodge met at Mr . Martin's in 1765, 1766, and 1769. Meetings held at
same tavern under Martin's successors in 1785, 1786, 1793, 1795, and 1800.
There may have been meetings held at Martin's Tavern between 1772 and 1783,
but the records of the lodge are missing for those years. Minutes of the
Royal White Hart Lodge No. 2, transcripts in J. Raymond Shute Papers,
Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
o '. fiJl:iam L. Sa•mders ( ed . ) , The Colonial ft. ecords of Nortl~ Ca T' o1ina (!l::; l e i E!-> '
State of North Ca r olina . 10 volumes, J. 36 t - 1890 }, X, xvii - >O<i , >--xi i j .
10 . Allen J ones Davie's welco~ing address to General Lafayette , Februa ry 27 ~
1825, quoted in Halifax Free Press, March 4, J825 .
11. Minutes of the Halifax Countv Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessjons,
1784 - 1.865 (incomplete), Archives, Division of Archives and History,
Raleigh, May 18, 1786, hereinafter cited as Halifax Court ~linut es with
appropriate date .
12 . Halifax Deed Book 17 , pp . 722 - 724, 866-867 .
13 . Halifax Court Minutes, August session, 1792 .
14 . North Carolina Journal (Halifax), Se ptember 4, 1793, hereinafter cite'i as
North Ca rolj,na Journal .
15. North Carolina Journal, January 1, 29, May 21, 1794 .
16 . North Carolina Journal, July 9, 1794.
17. North Carolina Journal , January 1 , 29, May 21, July 9, September J7 , 1794 ,
December 21, 1795, July 11 , 1796, December 26, 1796 , April 10, 1797, May
15, 1797.
18. Halifax Deed Book 17, pp. 722 - 724 .
19. North Carolina Journal, May 15, 1797.
20 . North Carolina Journal, November 28, 1796 .
21. North Carolina Journal , }~rch 5, 1798 , entry dated February 2t.
22 . Earliest mention of Hopkins is July, 1.796 . Hopkins Tavern last noted in
May, 1.798. North Carolina Journal, July 11, 1796, Mav 21, 1798 .
23 . See North Carol ina Journal , January 29, April 9, July 9, July 23 , 1798 .
24 . Nor th Carolina Journal, May 21 , 1798.
25. No r th Carolina Journal, March 24, 1800, entry dated Januat;.r l .
26. North Carolina Journal , March 24 , Hay 1.2 , 1800. The Roanoke Navigation
Company wa s organized to improve transportation on the Roanoke River by
deepening channels and removing obstacles. Operating capital was obtained
by selling non-participating stock to interested citizens .
27 . Treasurer and Comptroller's Records, County Settlements with the State­Ha
l ifax, List of Taxables, 1808 , hereinafter cited as List of Taxables
with appropriate date .
~ 28 . List of Taxables, 1812; Halifax Deed Book 34 , pp . 349- 351, 584- 586, Deed
Book 35 , pp. 145-146; Sauthier Map.
29. Barksdale 's other property holdings in Halifax included lots numbe red 34
and 35 whereon James La.dd operated a tavern. Wi 1 liams l ived on the l.ots
"formerly known as Martin's Tavern, 11 indicating that it was not being
used as such at that time. North Carolina Journal, May 7, 1798,
December 7, 1.801: Halifax Deed Book 23, p . 221.
30 . Halifax Deed Book 23, p. 221.
31 . Hutchins G. Burton served as governor of North Caro lina from 1824 to 1827 .
Crabtree. North Carolina Governors, 73 - 74 .
32 . Halifax Free Press , March 26 , April 2 , 9, 16, 1824 .
33. The New Hope Race Track was located near New Hope Plantation , about two
miles south of Halifax. The races were perhaps the most popular e nter­tainment
of the era. Halifax Free Press, November 5, 1824 .
34. Davie.' s home, Loretta, still stands in Halifax, although much altered. It
is now the home of the W. Turner Stephenson family . Halifax Free Press,
Mar ch 4 , 1825.
35 . On displa y in the North Carolina Museum of History is a sterling si 1_ver
sugar dish traditionally believed to have been used by Lafayette at the
banquet. The museum acquired the dish through Miss Nannie Gary, \'~hose
great- uncle, Thomas Gary, operated the Eagle Hotel at the time of La­fayette's
visi t. Halifax Free Press , March 4, 1825 . See illustration C.
36 . Davie ' s welcoming address t o Lafayette, quoted in Halifax Free Pr ess ,
Mar ch 4 , 1825 .
37 . The only other tavern l i cense in effect in February, 1825 , was owne d by
Dixie C. Fenner. Subsequent research revealed Fenner's Tavern to ~e
located on lots numbe r ed 40 and 59 . It appears that James Faucette
established the tavern in the early 1800s . Halifax Court Minutes,
November session, 1824~ Halifax Deed Book 34 , pp . 349 - 351 , 5g4- 586,
Deed Book 35, pp. 145- 146 .
38. Halifax Free Press, March 4, 1825 .
39. Ba sed on examination of the Sauthier Map and the fact that the structure
was of pre - Revolutionary origin.
40 . Halifax Court Minutes, November session, 1824.
41 . Examination of Halifax Court Minutes for the 1820s showed that the last
tavern license granted to Gary was in 1822 . Since the licenses were
valid for only twelve months, it had to be renewed sometime in 1.824 or
1825 . No such renewal was found .
42 . Halifax Deed Book 25, p. 105, Deed Book 30, p. 170, Deed Book 31 , p . 68 .
43 . Halifax Deed Book 26, pp. 7-8 .
44 . Halifax Free Press, November 12, 1824, entry dated October 28 .
e 45 . Hal ifa.x t.iinerva, February 25 , 1830, entry dated August 2C• , 1829 .
46 .
4".
48 .
4 9 .
50.
51.
52 .
Ha l ifax County Rec ords, Inventori es and Accou nt s of Sales . 1828- 1&7) ,
Inventory of the Estate of Jesse Rhymes, I n ale ~.rith tndre~ Jo:.T e :'
Testamentary Guarj ian, Ar chives , Division of Ar chh·es and ·~u~ tor:f.
Rale igh . See Apcendix D, Part 1.
Halifax Deed Bo ok 29, p. 362 .
Halifax Deed Book 30, p. 1?0, Deen Book 31, p . 68 .
Halifax Deed Book 30, p. 170.
Halifax Deed Book 30, p . 170.
Halifax Deed Bo ok 31, p . 68.
Roanoke Advocate (Halifax), April 1.4 , 1840.
53. Miss Nannie Gary's wiLl left the house to the Bi shop of the Diocese of
Raleigh who donated it to the Historic Halifax Restoration Association.
Plans are to restore the tavern and return it to the historic d istrict.
See Appendix C, Part 6.
54 . John Ze hmer, Bru ce MacDougal, and Al Honeycutt, Historic Sites and :.ruseu~s
Section, Division of Archives and History, Raleigh, contend that prel imi ­nary
examination of the house indicates a c onstruction date around 1790 .
~; 55 . Treasurer and Compt roller's Rec ords, Individual Claims against the State-
Ha lifax County, Rece i pt of Payment from Mr . Munfort to T. C. \'fells f or
Board and Dinner at Eagle Hotel, January 26- 30, 1839 , Archives, Division
of Archives and History, Raleigh.
56 . Halifax County Records, Estates LS . M. Gari7, Account of Benj. F. Gary
with Sterling M. Gary his Ward, October 25, 1870, Archives , Division of
Archives and History, Raleigh.
FORE\IfORD
The five l ots on which the Eagle Hotel and related buH'iings ~t0 orj
\'/ere numbered in the Halifax town pJan 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51. Before
Wi1liam Martin purchased all five lots, between 1770 and 1787, each was in
separate ownership; consequently, a chain of title for these 1.ots has five
points of origin. A brief tracing of each 1 ot title, to the time ~·1artin
acquired the property, '..rill be l isted . Once the lots fall into common owner­ship,
the chain of titl e wil l treat them as a single unit. Since the body nf
the report, to which this chain of titl e is but an appendix, is concerned with
the Eagle Hotel and its offspring, the Eagle Tavern, no attempt is made to
car:r:r property ownership beyond that of Michael Ferrall, the man who moved
,.._,- the F-agle Tavern to its present site in P...aJ.ifa.x.
APPENDIX A
CHAIN OF TITLE FOR EAGLE HOTEL LOl'S NOS . 28 . 29, 30, 50 , and 51
The Tr ustees of Hal ifax sold lot 28 to An~rew Horkins on June 7, 1 ~5q .
The consideration was two pounds. 1 By 1762, the lot ~ad rassed into th~ ~os -
session of Vivien Brooking of Virginia, who trans=erred the pro~ rty to 1etor
Copland (frequentl y spelled Copeland) of Halifax for twenty pounds Droclama­t
ion money of North Carolina on October 26 . 2 Copland , charged wit1 'i "rieht
of six hundred forty one t"o unds twelve shil1i.ngs, 11 was for~e·-l to rel iJ'1Q d:;;'1
t he pro)'1ert:v . which was sold by John Bradfo rd, S'1eriff o: ra1 if3."' Countv, to
Archibald Buc hanan of Chesterfield Co•1nty, Virginia, on t1arch 6, 1767 . The
consideration was b136 proclamation money of North Carolina. 3 Lot 50 , t o be
ri iscussed later, was included in this transaction.
Neill Buchanan, Sr . , C'lf Dinwiddie County, Virginia, received t he t wo ots
as heir of Archibald Buchanan. On October 20, 1769, he sold t he p ropert y to
James Milner, a Halifax attorney, for 1:,97.4 Uilner died without disposing of
the property, a nd his executors, Joseph Montfort, Abner Nash, and Andre•·• M.illcr ,
sold 1 ots 28 and 50 to William Martin for h13l.ll on July 26 , 1.7 73. 5
Robert Jones, Jr . , Stephen De wey, and Daniel WeJdon, Trus tee s of Hal ifax,
granted l ots 29 and 30 to Alexander McCullock on June 7 , 1.758 . 'fhe consirler-ation
was ten pounds proclamation money. McCullock's grant stipulateri that he
''erect build and finish on the said lots r e srectively one well framed hous")
sixteen feet square and ten feet pitch in the clear . "6 McCullock retained
possession of lot 29 for fifteen years , selling it on December 4, 1787, to
William Martin for ten pounds current money. 7 Lot 30 came to Martin by a
more circuitous route.
Early ownership of lot 30 is filled with apparent contradictions. On
""-. June 7, 1758, the Trustees of Halifax deeded l ot 30, a1ong with 79 and 117 ,
8
to Hugh Hardy of Edgecombe County for six pounds. Ther~ is a record of
Hugh H~rdy transferring the lot to Alexander E1 msl fW !_El msey7 i'or tvJel Vt1
pounds on May 1.8, l760; 9 but there is also .,..ecord of a Jor.n ~·!illiams gr:lrt -
10 ing lot '30 to Elmsey on June 9, 1.759. On July 23, 1762, the Trustees of
11
Halifax sold lot 30 again, this time to Alexander l•fcCul1ock . The confus i on
may have been caused by factors not apparent in the records, such as deeds of
trust, sale for inde~ess, foreclosure of mortgage, deed stipulations , in-correct
Jisting of lot numbers, or title disputes.
In any event, the lot was owned by Elmsey in 1763. On June 13, he sold
the property to Blake Baker and Abner Nash for b650 current money of Virginia.12
This transaction also included lot 51. Abner Nash and his wife , Justina, trans ­ferred
their interest to Baker on August 18, 1768, for b200 Virginia currenc:,r.13
Baker 's wifeMar.y, and son John, executors of his will , so1d lots 30 and 5J to
William J.fartin on January 20, 1770, for t.325 proclamation money of North
. 14
Carol1na.
Lot 50 was among four lots deeded by the Trustees to James Ferguson for
15
eight pounds on June 7, 1758. Ferguson's indebtedness allowed Joel Lane ,
sheriff of Halifax County, to sell lot 50 to Peter Copland (Copel and) on May
16
15, l76J . The considration was fifty-four pounds. Subsequent transactions
resulting in Martin's purchase of the property in 1773 already have been dis­cussed
in the section on lot 28.
Alexander Elmsey may have received lot 51 frotn the Trustees of Halifax
when town l ots were sold on June 7, 1758; however, no record has been found
to that effect. Elmsey is the first-known owner of the property, and on June
13, 1.763, he sold lots 30 and 51 to Blake Baker and Abner Nash. 17 Previous
discussion of lot 30 describes Martin's eventual acquisition of the property.
By 1.787, William Martin had acquired all five parcels that were to become
the Eagle Hotel lots. James Lyne, executor to William Martin's estate, sold
I'
-
I
'-/
"--
"five lotts or two & a half acres of land together with the houses there on
lying in the town of Halifax known & commonly called the Tavern & Stable lots
Copeland & McCu.llock ' s 1 ots numbered in the plan of the town fifty 8t. t\'l'3n ty
nine . • . " to Will iam Barksdale on January 8, 1795. The consideration w::~.s
b6oo. 18 Barksdale died intestate in 1798 while in possession of the prope rty.
In 1815, Eli B. Whitaker , Samuel Crowell, James Grant, Jesse B. v!iggins,
and Henry Bradford were appointed commissioners to divide Barksdale's es tate
among his legal heirs, Elizabeth (wife), Cleopatra Barksdale HalSPV (daughter),
and Benjamin F. Halsey (son- in-law). Halsey received lots 50 and 29 valued at
$3,ooo.19 On April 24, 1817 , Halsey and his wife s old "five lotts • known
as the Tavern & Stable lotts Copeland & McCu.llocks letts . " to Jesse Rhymes,
William Burt, Hutchins G. Burton, and Robert Johnstcn for $4,000 . 20
Rhymes, Burt, and Johnsto n all died before 1824, and the chain of t i t le be -
comes extremel y vague. And rew Joyner became testamentary guardian to Rhym es 1 s
estate, and even though Rhymes desired that his executors "sell my interest in
the Lots & Houses purchased of Benj . F. Halsey in any manner & at any time
they roay think proper," no record of such a sale has been found . 21
In October, 1830, Henry and Maria Garr ett s old "one- fourth part of the
Lots & premises in the Town of Halifax known by the name of Eagle Hotel" to
Hobert A. Jones and. Mark Pettway f or $500. 22 Extensive research has fail ed
to discover from whom Garrett received his portion. Through a deed of trus t
issued on February 24, 1832, John T. and Fanny Clanton authorized Andrew
Joyner, Mark Pettway, and Willi am C. Clanton, trustees, to sell 11 ••• one un -
divided fourth part of the Lot or Lots in the Town of Halifax known by the
name of the Eagle Hotel. • u23 Records do not reveal whether or not the
sale was consummated~ however, on May 29 , 1832, Pettway and Clanton released
their rights of trusteeship to Andrew Joyner . 24 Mark Pettway, on October 1,
1836, relinquished "all nzy- right and title to the Big or Eagle Tavern" to
e .
25
Sarah Burton. The extent of Pettway's ownership was not specified .
By 1838, Sarah Burton had acquired three- fourths of the Eagle Hotel lot ~ ,
26
which she sold to Hichael Ferran on November 6, for $750. Three ;rears
~ater, April 23, 1841, Ferrall obtained full title to the r emaining one-fourth
part from Isaac and Frances Faulcon. The consideration was a nomi nal
27
$1.00 fee. About 1845, Ferrall moved part of the Eagle Hotel to a site
l ocated a few blocks southwest where it became a private resid~n ce known
locally as the Eagle Tavern.
e
~
l.
2 .
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
/ l2 . ~
13 .
1.4.
1 5.
16.
17 .
18.
19.
20.
2l.
22.
23.
24.
FOCYrNarES
:-Ialifax: Deed Book 6, p . 282.
Halifax Deed Book 8, p. 260.
Halifax Deed Book 9, pp. 512-514.
Halifax Deed Bool~ 10, p. 465.
Halifax Deed Book 13, pp. 45-4.6.
Halifax Deed Book 8, p. 201.
Halifax Deed Book 16, p. 440.
Halifax Deed Book 6, p. 279.
HaJifax Deed Book 7, pp. 81-82.
Halifax Deed Book 7, pp. 38- 39.
Halifax Deed Book 8, p. 201.
Halifax Deed Book 9, pp. 43-44.
Ha1ifax Deed Book 10, p. 285.
Halifax Deed Book 11, p. 47.
Halifax Deed Book 6, p. 288 ..
Halifax Deed Book 7, pp. 296-297.
Halifax Deed Book 9, pp. 43-44.
Halifax Deed Book 17, pp. 722-724.
Halsey. also acquired lots 28, 30, and 51, probably through his wife Cleo­patra
Barksdale Halsey who also participated in the property division.
Halifax Deed Book 23, p. 105.
Halifax Deed Book 25, p. 105 .
Halifax Wills, Jesse Rhymes, vol. 4, p. 56.
Halifax Deed Book 29, p. 180.
Halifax Deed Book 28, p. 302.
Halifax Deed Book 28, p. 388.
I
25. Halifax Deed Book 29, p. 362.
26. The recorda are unclear as to how Sarah Burton (widow of Governor H. G.
Burton and daughter of Willie Jones) acquired her three-fourths interest.
One -fourth came !rom her deceased husband, H. G. Burton, and it appears
that she somehow acquired the part interests of both William Burt and
Robert Johnston . Johnston had n&~~~~ed Pettway as trustee of his interest
in 1823, along with Burton and R. A. Jones . Pettway and Jones purchased
one-fourth interest rro• Henry and Maria Garrett in 1830. Jones disap­pears
!rom transactions after 1830 and may have transferred his interst
to Pettway. That would have given Pettway one-~ interest, Sarah
Burton one-fourth, and John T. and Frances Clanton one-fourth. In 1836,
when Pett•y relinquished hia interest to Sarah Burton, she would have ·
had the three-rourthe illtereet which was sold. to Michael Ferrall. There
are other possible expl&D&ti.6ns, but this one seeu the most logical
based on aT&ilable ertdence; however, i t is only an attempt to explain
what •Y have happened, and should in no way be considered as the actual
course or events . Hali!ax Deed Book 26, pp. 7-8, Book 29, p. 180,
Book 28, p. 302, Book 29, p. 302, Book 29, p. 362, Book 30, p. 170.
27. Frances Faulcon and her !ol"!!er husband, John T. Clanton, had sold one­fourth
part or lots 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51 to Ferrall on NoTember 16,
1838, !or $250. Frances Clanton Faulcon apparently retained some rights
to the property which were relinquished in 1841 !or the nominal fee.
Hali!ax Deed Boek 30, p. 201.
APPENDU B
LOTS 76 AND 95 , THE Ol'HER EAGLE TAVERN
Use of the word Eagle as part of a title was very popu.lar after 1800 .
Three Eagle Hotels existed simultaneously in North Carolina, in P~J eigh,
Warrenton, and Halifax. Eagle Taverns were abundant, and i n Halifax, an
Eagl e Tavern flourished for several years before a different esta blishment
adopted the name Eagle Hotel. Extensive research on the first Eagle Tavern
led to the conclusion that it had no connection to the r resent structur e in
Halifax which bears the same name. This conclusion was n·ot reached , how-ever.
without much confusion about the relationship between two taverns
with the same name in a town as small as Halifax. The following bri ef his-tory
of the first Eagle Tavern was compiled to show the reasons for the
aforementioned conclusion.
Lot numbers 76 and 95 , the future site of the first Eagle Tavern ,
changed hands several times before there was any mention of a structure
on the property. The lots were unimproved in 1769, and a transfe r of t he
property from John Hannon to William Barksdale in 1 789 is the first deed to
refer to appurtenances . 1 Hannon acquired the lots in 1788, and it a ppears
2 t hat he erected a house within a year. Barksdale sold lot number 76 back to
Hannon in 1792, and two years later, Hannon "opened a House of private enter-tainment
for the accomodation of travellers and others. u3 Hannon was
by training a tailor, and be continued in that business "in [iJ shop ne-d to
his tavern and adjoining. u4 By comparison with his competitor, William
Barksdale (succeeded by Joshua Hopkins), Hannon was not very succes sful as
a tavern operator. Only one public announcement has been found concerning
his tavern on lot number 76: "Independence day celebration /Yiai/ cappeci off
with a brilliant ball at Mr. Hannon's tavern where the beauty and elegance
of our Jovely fair shone with unequalled s plendor."5
Sometime between J795 and 1798, most probably in 179'7 , James Augu s tus
Tabb took possession of the tavern lot. In January , 1796 . '1-Je anno1lnce rl
plans "to ooen by February court an elegant tavern at the house lately oc-
6 cupied by John Hannon. • • • 11 The February session of the county court
granted Tabb a tavern license, and his tavern was an immediate s uccess .
Public auctions and Independence Day celebrations were held at t he tavern .
and traveling c ompanie s performed such plays as "The Citizen" and ''The
Village Lawyer."? Tabb named his establishment Bell Tavern, and de spite
the apparent success, he placed the tavern l ots for sale only ten months
8
after opening.
Tabb was either unable to sell the property or decided against )t . He
leased the Bell Tavern to John Hannon in Fe bruary, 1799 . Hannon wa s the
first owner of the tavern in 1794 and was now leasing the establishment
five years later. He operated the Bell Tavern a pparently until 1800, at
which time he leased Martin 1 s Tavern on lot number 51. Three month s after
Hannon rented the establishment, Tabb transfered 11 2 lots numbers 76 and 95
lying in the Town of Halifax at present known and d istinguished by t he nazre
of Bell Tavern • • • • " to John Nash of Virginia . l O Nash continued to resiue
in Prince Edward County, Virginia: therefore, it seems probabl e that Hannon
operated the t avern under new ownership until 1800.
On May 4, 1803, Nash sold the Bell Tavern to Jo shua Hopkins , fo~er1y
11 the proprietor of Barksdale's Tavern on l ot number 51. Hopkins ownen the
tavern for about six weeks,during which time he renamed it the EagJe Tavt=>rn . l 2
Andrew Fleming, a Halifax merchant, purchased the Eagle Tavern f rom Hopkins
for $1,800 on June 23, 1803. 13
Although Joshua Hopkins sold the title to the property to Fleming, he
continued to run the tavern. Fleming placed the following adve rtisement in
the North Carolina Journal on November 4, 1805:
FOR SALE The Eagle Ta vern in this Town now in the possession of
Mr. J oshua Hopkins the house is commodius having a good 1ining
room and a number of bed chambers a good k itchen a neat shop on
the corner of the l ot, large garden etc ..• • 11 14
Almost two years passed however, befor e Fleming sold the property.
On June 26, 1807, Joseph Ross bought the two l ots (76 and 95) 11
••• known
15
by the name Eagle Tavern . • • • 11 for $2,000 This is the l a st time that
an Eagle Tavern is mentioned in connection with lots numbered 76 and 95 :
furthermore, subsequent deed transactions make no reference to a tavern
of any name on the lots . 16 Apparently, the structure reverted to other
usage after 1807. Tavern licenses granted in 1808 and 1812 show only two
establishments in Halifax, one on lot number 34 operated by James La.d d , and
another on lot numbers 40 and 59, run by James Faucett . 17 The mo st logical
conclusion from the available records is that the tavern ceased to operate
and was used for other purposes by subsequent owners .
A transfer of property in 1823 gives the following description:
. . . in the plat of the Town of Halifax N 76 & 95 except that
part of the building in number 76 sold to Wm. Def ord a nd 10l feet
of Ground and that part of the building sold to the branch of the
bank of Newbern & 6~ feet of Ground in the back refer ence to the
said deeds will show having thereo n the dwelling ho~se corner store
kitchen carriage house smoke house stables •••• "1
Comparison of this description with those given by Hannon in 1794 and Fleming
in 1805 reveals add itional improvements of a carriage house and a smoke house . l9
A dwel ling may have been added also when the tavern was used exclusively for
that purpose, but that is not certain. The unidentified building t hat serve1
as the dividing point between property s old to Wi lliam Deford and a parcel sold
to the Bank of Newbern may well have been the ol d tavern. Again there is no
documentary pr oof; however, eight structures, a garden, and two alleys on a
single acre of ground means that there was little open space. Such evidence e reduces the possibility that the tavern wa s moved to another lot . Since the
"---' Eagle Hotel was already i n existence in 1823, and no structur e appears to
4lt have been moved from lQt number 76, it seems l ogical to conclude that the
Eagle Tavern had no connection to the Eagle Hotel., and thus to the preAent
Eagle Tavern, except through the coincidence of having the same name .
.-"'---
.,
'--'
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9 •
10.
ll.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
FOOTNOTES
Sauthier Map~ Halifax Deed Book 17, p 301: for previous transactions ,
see Halifax Deed Book 6, p. 75, Book 7, p. 302, Book 10, p . 535,
Book 14, p. 198, Book 16, pp. 305, 314.
Halifax Deed Book 17, p. 35.
North Carolina Journal, May 7, 1794, entry dated May 1.
North Carolina Journal, August 10, 1795.
North Carolina Journal, July 6, 179 5.
North Carolina Journal, January 29, 1798, entry dated January 15.
North Carolina Journal, April 9, July 9, 23, 1798.
North Carolina Journal, November 12, 1798.
North Carolina Journal, February 11, 1799, entry dated January 29 .
Halifax Deed Book 18, p. 482.
Halifax Deed Book 19, p . 146.
Halifax Deed Book 19, pp. 146-147.
Halifax Deed Book 19, p. 147.
North Carolina Journal, November 4, 1805.
Halifax Deed Book 21, p. 56.
See Halifax Deed Book 21, pp. 130-131, Book 22, p. 21, Book 22, p. 209,
Book 25, p. 105, Book 26, pp. 7-8, 28, 47, 65, 139, Book 27, p. 10, 13,
188, 238, 232; Halifax Free Press, November 12, 1824, entry dated
October 28. ·
1?. List of Taxables - Halifax, 1808, 1812; Halifax Deed Book 34, pp . 584-
586, 349-351, Book 35, pp. 145-146.
18. Halifax Deed Book 26J p. 47.
19. North Carolina Journal, May 7, 1794, November 4, H~05 : Halifax Dee0
Book 26, p. 47.
APPIIIDIX C
Part 1
MICHAEL P'BRR1LL AliD HIS FAMILY
According to a letter written by Hannie M. Gary, great great grand­daughter
of Michael Ferrall, he CaM to Halifax about 1820 . 1 She says,
"· • • Ferrall a young Irisn.&n or Longford Co., Longford, Ireland arrived
in the eapl.o7 ot a Petersburg, Va. business !ira also having a place of busi-
2 ness here in Halifax." It is po•sible Ferrall was accompanied b.r his brother
Thoas; howe?er, the letter stat•• that Michael Ferrall was "so far as I can
learn the first Catholic to settle in this historic little town and it was he
who planted the faith here tor he practiced his religion staunchly.
Ferrall 1 s torthricht -..mer aDd hone•t7 in busine•• utters won him the respect
ot the ~t7. He p!"Oapered ce~, tor by 1840 he not only owned a
mercantile business in Halifax but al•o •s in partnership with Thomas in
Scotland tfeck. 4
Ferrall arried 1far7 Elisabeth WUliuaa lppes (Epps) ot the prominent
Eppes !ud.l7 ot VirgiJU& and lortll Carolina. She was the daughter of Richard
' 5
Eppes and Harriet Dana Bord Bppes. One ot her sisters, Martha Ann Mosely
Eppes, married Fr8derick S . Marshall or Halifax, &leo a merchant and pro-
6 mi.nent citizen.
Harriet Ann Ferrall, daugbte~ or Michael &Dd Mary Elizabeth, married
John Tor.ey first and Michael llcMahon second. A daughter, Mary Ursula, was
born to John and Harriet To~ ill 1864, t1RJ ,.ears before John's death. An­other
daughter, 1far7 Maurice, was born in 1877 to Harriet and Michael McMahon. 7
Mary Ursula To~ arried l'Nderick Sterling Mar•hall Gary, her cousin, a
grandson ot Prederick S. Marahall and Martha Ann M. Eppes. Nannie Gary, the
last DWMr or the •Iagle TaTera" was one or the children born to Mary Ursula
·--
and Sterling Gary. Marshall Gary, Hannie's brother, died in early manhood and,
8
since Hannie nenr urried, this line of Ferrall descendants ceased .
Michael Ferrall be~ a leading .. mber of Roanoke Valley society and was
instrumental in establishing the congregation which later became the Chur ch or
9
the r.m&culate Conception. A family tradition states that the charming little
church which was built in 1889, fultilled a premise made by the daughters of
Michael hrrall. It •e ... that during a denetating fire which threatened
their home, Hibernia Ferrall Maguire and Har riet Ferrall Tormey McMahon
pledged that they lftnlld baild a eharch. In a spirit or thanksgiving the
10
simple but beautitul church was conetrueted. At the time of her Cieath
in 1969, Mannie M. Gary was the only coliiiiWlieant.
l'ather Prederick Price was the first pastor of the Halifax church, one
11 of the first built 1n North Carolina under hie ~eeionary endeavors. A
hamwritten note in the Gary fud.ly papers states that the church of the Im-maculate
Concept!on was attended not only by such staunch Catholics as the
Ferralls, Ma¢res, MeMahone , and Coniglame but also by the Irish laborers
who helped build the railroads in Hall! ax and surrounding counties . 12
The story or Michael l'errall and his role in the history or the little
town of Halifax is the epito• or the American success story. The Irish 1m-migrant
acquired a great deal of property, certainly sufficient to support
hie tw daughters, Harriet Ann aDi Hibernia Francenia, l ong after his death. 13
At hie death in 1862 he held mmeroue notes and 110rtgagee, as well as rental
property am faraland. ldward Coniglam, an .outstanding attorney in Halifax
and a close triend of l'errall'• served as executor f or the estate and trans-
!erred from the Ferrall estate in 1869 the following: The distillery and fix­tures
known as Cool Spring Hou•e and lot in Scotland Neck occupied by T. N. Hill,
house and lot in Scotland Heck occupied by R. H. Sadth, Jr. , Marsh Swamp Planta­tion,
lots 54, 79, and 100 in Halifax, interest in remainder of lot 98 in Hali-
tax, land parchaeed troll estate ot Mrs. Martha B. Eppes (bought by Coniglam
in hie own right) • 14
Following the death ot Edward Conigland, Thomas N. Hill was trustee ot
the Ferrall estate am Bade meticulous notes on all expenditures through
1899. His neat account sheets are tilled with the names of families ot pro-
15
minence in the Roanoke Valley area.
There are two qlWStione ot illpertance in the restoration ot Halifax that
are related to the Perrall taail7: First, ie the present Nannie M. Gary House,
a part ot the la&].e Ta'ftrn and was it •'ftd to its present site by Michael Fer­rall,
and, second, ia the sugar dieh (now on exhibit in the MJ.seum of History,
August 22, 1973) ~he "Lat~te sugar dish," used by the general in 1825?
All persons who could establish the authenticity ot the house or sugar
dish of their own knowledge ha-n been dead tor mre than a hundred years.
Nevertheless, in order for the questions to be examined and conclusions to be
ade, the tollcnd.Dg illtor-.tion is given.
It is belieTed bT the reaearchers engased in Halitax research that certain
circumstantial eTidence renders it possible that the Ferrall-Gary house was a
~ ot the Iagle Tavern (Hotel) and that the sugar dish could have been used
by' the Marquia de Lata,-ette while he vas a visitor to Halifax.
The Ba&].e Ta-nrn, or Perrall-G&r7 home, was JDOved to its present site
about 1845, according to tudl.7 traditions. It is definitely known that after
the cOIIIing ot the railroads the ton 110'f'ed awa,. troa the ri Ter (north) and
spread to the south. There is a great deal ot evidence to substantiate the
tradition . Por exaapl.e, b.r ex.udn1.Jlg the estate papers one tinde that Ferrall
owned two store bnildinga, one ot th• used by his son-in-law, Michael McMahon,
16 and neither ot thea being in the present historic district.
That Ferrall ard Tho-.a Gary nre connected to the Eagle Hotel at sepa­rate
times and that their heirs, including Sterling Gary, benefited from the
r----------- -
17
rental of the hotel property i~ easy tcs authenticate. The building Which
has been dated about 179018 ha~ characteristic~ or buildings much earlier
than those built after the town mved away from 'What is now referred to as
the histof'iC distriet. It appears to have been the practice to move hou~es
and buildi~ with greater trequene,y during the eighteenth and nineteenth
centU17 than dur~ more recent tt.es. The Owens Hcsuse was moved from its
original site and the Conocou.ra Chapel was •ved to be used as barn or
~torehouse. Perhaps becauae tkere were fewer. Tehicles and telephone and
electric wires, it was -.ch simpler to move a btdldillg.
The "Latayette Supr Dieh," ao called because the tami.ly maintained that
it was used by the l'rencha!l Oil his visit tcs Halifax in 1825, is almost certain­ly
authentic. It is knGWn that !hous Gary, wt\G was operating the Eagle Hotel
in 1825 was the paternal p-eat uncle of N&nnie M. Gary. In the possession of
Gary relatives ie a quant'ity ot ether .silTer itfJIIS belonging originally to
~., Garya, GillU.. (-.nnie' a ete,.,ther was toraerly EII:Uy Gilliam), and Ferralls .19
In the papers relatin! to V. C. Gary's e~t&te there is an inventory of accounts
made by W. C. GaJ71S brother, Benj&Jii!l F. Gary, tor his nephew and ward, F.
Sterlift! M. Gary. Listed are three tablespoons, twenty-five teaspoons, two
eaadlestieks, tkree teapots, ODe water bowl, one sugar dish, two pitchers, two
cream pots, one pair ot SU9-r tonga and spoon, weighing in all thirty-three
. 20
pounds and "retained tor ward." The account is dated May 22, 1871. Nannie
M. Gary, da~er of Sterling Gary, was told by her father of his family tradi­tion
concerning the SU8&J" dish. Folio~ her death in January, 1969, three
aembers ot the stat! ot the DepartM!lt ot Archi vee and History went to the
Gary House in Halifax to obtain items lett specifically to the Historic Hali­ta:
r. RestoratioD Aaaoci&tiell or to the department. 21
A dozen ail .er speons -.de by a Vir!inia ail verSllith were monogr&J~~Ded
with a large "ltl"; -.mu. Gary' a will atatecl that the "R!" stood for Richard
Eppes.22
_ ...
Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary, father of Hannie M. Gary, was Clerk
of Court for Halifax County for more than thirty years . He was heir to a
23
fairly large estate froa hie grand.IIDther, Marth& Ann Moseley Eppes, whose
sister arried Michael Perrall; therefore Hannie Gary was heiress to many
faaU,- items of seftral qllite prOII:inent f&mi..l.ies .
Late in life Nannie Gary wae confined to a wheelchair ard had the op­portunity
to write ~own m&D7 of her re~scencee. She -.e ably assisted
by her steJBOther, "Mi•e Bad.l.7," who was the second wife of Sterling Gary
and a daughter of Ca¢ai.B Georp Gil Ha•. Gi111 .. was well connected to
several northeastern Borth Carolina families, hie half-brother, Edward Wood,
being the cnmer of Hayes Pl.&J:Itation in Edenton. 24
Long after the death of Sterling Gary25 the two remaining members of
his f&llily CODtimaed to dft'Ote ~ hours to preserrtng the history of
26
Halifax.
~years atter the deaths of Michael Ferrall and Frederick s. Marshall-conteaporariee,
frierds, •rcl:&ante, and brothers-in-law-Nannie M. Gary added
to the tollbstoM iMcriptioaa copied fro• the colonial cemetery by Frederick
P'rolich in 1901.27 In the papers of the Gary f&llil.y there is a note written
by Sterling Gary which s.,a that he &Dd one or two other Halifax citizens,
being more concerned than &lf7 •there, ade the decision to discontinue burials
in the old cemetery. The inscriptiou there and in the Ferrall-Gary familY'
28
ceJMtery (bekird the Ja&le TaTem) p_.,.. the brief history of two families
that -.de a great contribatien to the to'Wil of Halifax and the Roanoke Valley.
Poetscri~: Continued efforts to locate a handwritten me110randum mention­ed
in the Hannie M. Gary will ( eee Itsa 4) have proved fruitless. Sterling
Gilli.&Jil, executor, for whoa the story of the sugar dish was written, died in
1972. A telephone call to hie for.mer secretary and a subsequent check of his
files produced negative results. See Part 4 of Appendix D for letter dated
August 28, 1973.
FOarNDrES
1. Undated l etter from Nannie M. Gary written to " Dear De ar Father,'' rrobaLl y
an official of the diocese , and co pied in black composition b ook . ~ary
Papers, Historic Halifax Restoration Association, s tored in the Histor i c
Sites and Museums Section, Division of Archives and History , Ar chives ani
History-Suate Library Building, Raleigh, hereinafte r cited Gary Pape r s .
Mis s Gary was requested by Father to write down her recol l e ct ions
of Father Frede rick Price and of the Catholic Church in Halifax. This
material will hereinafter be cited as Nanni e M. Gary to "Dear Father . "
2. Nannie M. Gary to "Dear Father," Gary Papers .
3 . Nannie H. Gary to "Dear Father," Gary Papers .
4. Roanoke Advocate (Halifax), April 14, 1840.
5 . Tombstone inscription (on vault), Ferral l -{Tary cemet e ry, Ha l i f a.x , and
Na.nnie M. Gary, Gary Papers.
6 . An other sister, Hibernia Francenia Ferrall married Dr . D. Jame s Maguire
of Blll.eyconnell Gounty, Cavan, Ireland. See vauJt inscription , FerraJl­Gary
cemetery, Halifax. Mrs . Maguire survived her husband by forty
years .
7 . See inscriptions Ferrall-Gary cemetery and geneological chart in t h is
appendix.
8 . Ferrall -Gary cemetery and Gary Papers.
9 . Nannie M. Gary t o "Dear Father, 11 Gary Papers. Services were held in the
Ferrall home, where there was a special trunk kept to keep "the sacred
vessels," and other ritualistic items.
1 0 . Nannie M. Gary, Gary Pa pers.
ll . Gary Papers, r elating to the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
12. Gary Papers .
13 . Miscellaneous Estates Papers: M. Ferrall Estate by Rt . Rev. F . N. Lyn ch ,
final account, April 16, 1878 ; Thomas N. Hill in account with P. Ii. L:ynch ,
trustee; estate of M. Ferrall and others s imilarly titled and dated f rom
1878 to 1899 . Halifax Estates Papers, Micha el Ferrall, hereinafter cited
Ferrall Estate Papers .
14 . Fe rrall Estate Papers.
15. Hill lived in S~otland Neck on property owned by l{ichael Ferrall. He ser­ved
ae trustee for Ferr all's heirs for approximately twenty years .
1.6. M. Ferrall Estate Papers, passim.
17. See Inventory of Accounts, October 25, 1870, and May, 1871, Benjamin
F. Gary with Sterling M. Gary, his ward. Halifax County Records, Bs­tates
Papers (S. M. Gary), Archives and Records Section, Division of
Archives and History. This inventory will hereinafter be cited as
Benjamin F. Gary Inventory.
18. A. L. Honeycutt, Jr., restoration supervisor and Edward F. Turberg, r e­storation
specialist, Historic Sites and Museums Section, have made a
preliminary inepection of the Ferrall-Gary House (Eagle Tavern) and
concluded that the house dates from about 1790.
19. Dispositi on of property of Nannie M. Gary by Sterling Gilliam, attorney,
of Henderson, and others. Members of the family; a representative of
Bishop Vincent s. Waters, Diocese of Raleigh; Mr. William S. Powell and
Dr. Isaac Copel&!Xi of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill;
and Mrs. Joye E. Jordan, Mr. A. L. Honeycutt, Jr . , and Mrs . Elizabeth
W. Wilborn of the Division of Archives and· History: and Mrs. Charl es
Boykin of Halifax, next door neighbor and longtime friend of Nannie H.
Gary, and the Gary houeekeeper, met to divide items in the estate in
1969, following the death of Nannie M. Gary, according to her wishes
and her wiJ.l. The silver spoons and all other silver except the sugar
dish was divided among Miss Gary's cousins. This reference will here­inafter
be cited as 1969 meeting to dispose of Gary estate.
20. Ben,1amin F. Gary Inventory, 1871.
21 . 1969 meeting to dispose of Gary estate.
22. Retained by fa.Dilly, 1969 meeting to dispose of Gary estate . See A ppen­dix
C for will of Nannie Gary.
23. See Benjamin F. Gary Inventory, uno, 1871.
24. Gary Papers.
25. Gary died in 1930.
26. See numerous his~orical sketches, clippings, letters, and document s
in the Gary Papers.
27. See attached copy of tombstone inscriptions, especially those of Gary
family with notes by Nannie M. G~.
28. The Ferrall-Gary vault and cemetery are behind the house (Eagle Tavern)
where it is presently situated (August, 1973). See attached copy of
the inscriptions for tne Ferrall-Gary vault and cemetery.
APPENDIX C, PART 2
Inventory of the Estate of Michael Ferrall deceased l ate of Halifax County
which has come to the hands of Joseph B. Batchela and Edward Conigland his
Executors
Household Furniture
One doz Mahagony Chairs
11 Piano & Stool
Two mahagony side Tables
Six Girandolee
One melodeon
Two Ottomans
One parlor Carpet
Two paintings
Two portraits
Three Engravings
Two Mantle Flower Vases
One Brass Fender
One pair Braes Andirons
One fire Shovel Tongs & poker
One Side Board
One Hat Stand
Eight Arm Chairs
One large rolling Chair
One pr. plated Candlesticks
One pr. plated Snuffers & Tray
One plated Casters
One plated Basket
One plated Spoon tray
One doz S~rspoons (table)
" " " tea do.
One doz large Knives
One Carving Knife & fork
Twenty two Jelly Glasses
Three large Sal vera
One 8111&11 do.
One molasses Pitcher
One Punch bowl
Two damaged Baskets.
Two Jelly dishes
Fifteen preserve dishes
Seven large Salt Stands
Nine small do do
Two Ddlk Pitchers
Two Sugar Bowls
One invalids Chair
Eighteen cane bottom chairs
Seven Bedsteads .
Six beds and furniture
Seven mattrasses
Four Bureaus
Five Washtands
One l ooking Glass
Two v/ashstands
Three small Tables
Four Carpets on floors
One Sewing machine
Five dining Tables
One Old Sofa
Two Safes
One Secretary
One Clock
Two Vases
Two Small Rocking Chairs
Silverware
Four doz Silver Salt do .
Two broken 11 butter Knives
One Silver Soup Ladle
One II gravY "
One doz. large Silver forks
One doz. small Silver forks
Two pr. Silver Sugar Tongs.
Table Cutlery
One doz. Small Knives
Three Old Knives
Glass Ware
Seven Common Glass Tumblers
Two Celery Stands
One Water Pitcher
Two Custard Bowld
Six Goblets
Seven Wine Glasses
Three De canters
rwo bottles belonging to liquor case
Eleven•-cpampagne Glasses
Ten Demijohns
Crockery
Five Small China Cups
Seven Saucers
Four Kitchen dishes
Two 11 plates
Three Common bowls
Six mugs
Two fancy cake baskets
Six Egg cups 2 pickle dishes
Eight large common plates
Three 11 soup plates
Three 11 dishes
Two 11 steake 11
Ten Stone jars
Five large Cups & Saucers
Six common small plates
Eleven Soup plates
Nineteen dinner plates
Fifteeen desert do
Twenty Tea do
One doz China Cups & Saucers
One China Sugar dish
11 do Slop bowl & pitcher
One Earthenware dish
One Steak Dish
Two yellow nappies
Four Vegetable dishes
Five jugs Nine custart cups
Nine dishes 2 pickle dishes
Five common White Bowls
One Tureen
Five Wash basins & pitchers
Four Wht Water Pitchers
One Tea pot 1 milk Pitcher
Two Tin Jelly moulds
One Gravy Tureen
Two butter plates
One Sugar dish
Two large China Vases
Four small do do
Two Common dishes
Kitchen Furniture
Three large Pots
One Small Pot
Two Ovens
One Small Oven
One Gridiron
Two Stew pans
Two Tea Kettles
Three Spiders
Two tin pans
Three tin buckets
One tin dipper
Two water buckets
One Cooking Stove & furniture
Provisions
About 1000 lbs. Bacon hog
hams damaged
75 lbs. clarified Sugar
50 " Loaf do.
25 11 Rio Coffee
5 11 Tea
One & a half barrels Flour
Fifteen pounds of Rice
Liquors
One Gall French Brandy
Five 11 Scup Wine
Two 11 Sherry 11
One doz bottles wine
One & a half Galls Whiskey
Books
Bishop Englands Works 5 vol
Essays on various subjects 3 vol
Theologica dogmatica 4 11
Butlers Lives of the Saints 6 vols
National Portraits 3 11
Jeffersons Works 4 11
Jew of Verona 2 11
Geraldine 3 11
Saints of Sinners 2 11
M hiem 3 11
Clarks Horner 2 "
Mills Travels 1 11
Brunsons Review 3 11
And about 125 Volumes of miscellaneous
works of little value
Slaves
1 Louise Tripp. 2 Henry 3 John 4 Emerson
5 Mary & her children 6 ~harles her child
7 Martha 8 Cora 9 & Emily.
Farming Untensils Stock &c.
Two Wagons 1 Carriage nearly new
One Old Carriage
Two Sets Carriage Harness
Two Sets Wagon Harness
One Set Buggy Harness
One Top Buggy Top off
One horse least nearly new
One Old horse Cart
One Old Saddle
One Corn She l ler
Nine t bushel Peas
Ei.ghteen ! barrels Corn
One Straw Cutte~
One barrow
One double plow
One Single plow
One Old Gin
Three Old Wheels for Wagon
One Old Iron Axletree
One Buggy Spring
Four Iron Hoops
Two truck wheels Iron
Two setts plow gear
One pair of hinges
" lot of Iron hoops
One Remnant of harness
Chain of Chain pump
One platform scales
One Buggy pole
Two Carriage Horses
Two Cows & Calves
202 1 be Fodder
Cash
Cash on hand in Bank notes $36.00
Bonds
In Silver $12.21 $ 48.21
One bond vs. Lewis Arrington payable to & endorsed by M McMahon
II II
II II
II II
II II
II II
" II
II II
It "
" II
II II
II II
" II
II II
" II
" II
II II
II II
II II
II II
II II
II II
" II
II II
Int. Jan 4th 1861 good
" Hartwell Alsobrook 11 II II
27.51
II M McMahon
Int. Jan 10 1861 good 15.68
11 Thos J. Bobbit~ & L. D. Browning March 21 1861 good 150. 76
" Mary E. Alston T. B. Burton & Sarah Joyner Int from
Apr 1st 1859 Apr 1 1863
" W. W. Branch & A H Neville payable to & endorsed by
M McMahon Feb. 1 1861
" L. D. Browning II II II II II
II
II
K.McMahon due Feb 26 1861 11
11 D H. Bryan & R H Pender payable to & endorsed by Peter
Forbes am also emorsed by W J Eppes Int. from July 21
609.98
112.10
23.44
1863 Good 1,424.00
" G. W. Barnes int from Apr 3rd 1860 $172.94
credit May 28th 1860 $124.60 balance at date of
credit due May 21 1860 good
11 George W Barnes due Jan 1 1860 11
11 W G Biggs & E C Biggs due Jan 1 1861 11
" Jno · Lynch. R T Bowers & Jno T Gregory Jan 1 1861 11
11 Edwd Conigl.and March 23 1861 "
11 W. J. Cochran payable to & endorsed by
M McMahon Feby 14 1861 11
" L L Clemens & P P Clemens payable to
& endorsed by H Joyner & endorsed by
W. J. Eppes Int from Jan 1 1864 Jan 1 1864 11
" the same parties payable to & endorsed by
same parties as the preeeeding Interest
from the same time due Jan 1 1863 "
" the same parties payable to and endorsed by ·
the same parties as the two last preceeding
bonds Int from the same time due Jan 1 1862
" Andrew Conigland payable to & endoreed by M
McMahon March 1, 1860
" W J Cochran payable to & endorsed by M
McMahon March 17 1860
" Arthur McDaniel Int from Sept 22nd 1860 $117.00
credit April 22nd 1861 $53.55 balance
at date of credit due April 22 1861
" Joe J. Daniel payable to & endorsed by
M McMahon due Jan 1 1861
" Joe J. Daniel payable to & endorsed by
Isaac N Faulcon due Feb 20 1860
11 Robert J Day payable to & endorsed by M McMahon
Int Jan 1st 1860
11 J T J Daniel 11
11 " " " 11 II
Int Jan let 1860
" J W Doyal payable & endorsed by M McMahon
Int March 10, 1861
II
"
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
50.47
285.19
73.00
38.00
400.00
196.84
600.00
600.00
600.00
249.03
25 . 00
93.15
386.16
103.35
414.35
187 . 69
Bonds - continued
~ bond vs .
- 11 " "
II II II
promissary
note 11
One borxl vs •
II II II
II II II
One promis­sary
note "
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
\......,.- II II II
II II II
II II II
II " II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
11 n "
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
I Davis M C Whitaker & L H B Whitaker payable to James H
Parker & Jos B Batchelor due Jany 1 1864 Good
Jno R J Daniel 11 Feby 20 1860
David H Day " Jan 1 1860
M B Eppes payable to & endorsed by
M McMahon 11 Jan 1 1860
W J Eppes " " " " "
M McMahon with interest from 11 1 186o
W J Eppes 11 11 11 11 1 1860
Martha B Eppes Int from May 16, 1854 $1438.32 Credit
June 7th 1854, of $400. Jan 1, 1860. $168.57 balance
due Jan 1 1860
W J Eppes as Agent for M B Eppes payable to
& endorsed by M McMahon 11 July 1 1861
John Finn Int from May 12th 1861 credit May
12th a862 $30 11 May 12 1862
John Finn Int from May 13th 1859. $1500.00
Int paid May 13th 1860 $190.00 13th May 1861 $190.00
13th May 1862. $190.00 due May 13 1862
Patrick Ferral Int from April 1 1860
Isaac N Faulcon due Oct. 21, 1860 $1827.18 Credit
April 20th a861. $393.95 due April 20 1861
Peter Forbes. D B Bell to H Joyner and endorsed
by him and W J Eppes due January 1st 1863
Int from Jan 1 1860
Grimmer & Edmondson due March 16 1861
Billy Hill J. M. Grizzard & J. H. Prince 11 Jan 1 1862
J. W Green to M McMahon & endorsed by him " Feb 19/61
Int from Jan 1 1861
J J Heptinstall Int from Jan 13 1862
P.C. Howellv& J H Pnton to & endorsed by
" II
II
" II
II
"
"
II
II
II
" II
II
II
"
M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 11
E P Holland & J E Pittman payable to & endorsed by Wm H Tillery & by
M McMahon due August 11 1859 11
George W Hamill R W Neville & E D Shearer payable to
C W Neville at 60 days Int from Nov 15 1860
Henry Johnston due Jan 1 1863
Henry Joyner to W H Tillery & endorsed by him & M McMahon
Int Jan 1 1861
Sarah W Joyner to M McMahon & endorsed by him Int from Feb 16th
1861 $166.24 credit - Feby 20, 1861 $40. Jan 10 1862, $50.00
II
"
"
due Jany 10 1862 11
Washington Jones to & endorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
Cullen Lewis due Feb 1 1860 Good
Cullen Lewis to & endorsed by M McMahon due
J K Long, Jas S Snow & Jas H Whitaker due Nov 23 1860
E C McDowell to & endorsed by M McMahon due Jan 1 1861
do do to Wm H Tillery and endorsed by him &
M McMahon due October 22 1859
E McDowell, E K Neville, & Peter Forbes payable to W W Daniel
& W N Perkins as Adms of Jas D Perkins & endorsed by them
& M McMahon due Dec 21 1861
M McMahon due Sept 21¥1 1861 $2035.25 credit Apr 1 1862
$250.00 due April 1 1862
" II
II
II
"
$2363 .20
358.67
41.83
1943.58
657.64
274.04
1243.08
1727. 49
500.00
1500.00
500.00
1488.04
1152.00
71.44
30.00
28 . 08
25.88
61.32
30.00
45.36
30. 00
109.82
77.02
61.84
47 . 89
369.91
100.00
49.62
69.00
240.00
1857.10
Bonds - Continued e One borrl vs • Robert H Morre James E Morre, A Braswell, W F Lewis & Jno F
Speight to jno L Bridgers & endorsed by him & K H Dicken -
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
"
II
II
" II
"
II
\...;II
II
II
II
II
" II
II
II
II
"
"
"
II • '-' II
II
II
"
II
II
II
" n
II
"
"
"
" II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
"
" II
II
II
" II
II
II
II
" II
II
"
"
" II
II
II
"
II
II
"
" II
" II
due Jany 1 1862 Good
11 E C McDowell to Wade H Tillery endorsed by him & M McMahon
due Dec 22 1860
11 A H Neville to & erxiorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860
11 do do 11 11 11 M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861
11 W.C Ousby " 11 " M McMahon " " 11 11 1860
Good
Good
Good
Good
11 Jas L Ousby 11 11 11 M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860
$248.75 credit Feb. 25th 1860 $20.32due Feb 25 1860 Good
" W.C. Ousby & Jas L Ousby to Jno P Barnes Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
11 Jas L Ousby to & endorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
" M T Ponton to & endorsed by M McMahon due March 15 1861 Good
" Wm. H Ponton 11
" 28 1861 Good
" Wm H Ponton to & erxiorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860 Good
" M E Purnell & Thos L Purnell to & endorsed
by M McMahon Int from 11 11 1861 Good
11 Thos L Purnell to & endorsed by M McMahon due August 13 1860 Good
11 Thos L Purnell " " " 11 M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860 Good
" Tbos L Purnell " " " " M McMahon " " " 11 1861 Good
11 Thos L Purnell 11 11 11
" M McMahon due July 4 1859 Good
" Thos L Purnell negotiable and payable at the Branch of the
Bank of Va at Petersburg dated Feby 27th 1861 protested
for non payment erxiorsed by Wm. H Ponton, H J Hervey,
J H Ponton & Peeble Plummer & Co . Int from June 29 1861 Good
of protest
$1186 . 21
115.25
52.04
128.47
180. 38
230.00
500.00
450.75
203.00
85.32
154.14
416.44
25.00
411.24
398.66
30.00
600.00
" James Johnson & Virginia Johnson due Jan 1 1863 250.00
" Eli A Pearson Int from Jan 1 1860 Good 102.35
" A B Pierce to & endorsed by M McMahon " " " " 1861 Good 123.93
" Eli A Pearson " " " M McMahon " " " 11 1860 Good 352.14
11 A B Pierce due Feb 20 1860 Good 23.00
11 A B Pierce Int from Jan 1 1860 Good 33.85
11 A B Pierce to & endorsed by M McMahon 11
" 11 1 1861 Good 138.18
" Rice B Pierce 11
" Feb 20 1860 Good 100.57
11 W B Pope to & endorsed by M McMahon 11 11 Jan 1 1861 Good 119.70
11 W B Pope 11 11
" " M McMahon " 11 Jan 1 1860 Good 330.02
11 W B Pope due Jan 1 1860 credit Mar 10 1860 $200.00 due May 10 1860 Good 609.30
Arxirew Parks due Jan 1 1860 Bad 25 . 15
Jas H Parker " 11 1 1864 Good 543.53
Wm B Powell 11
" 1 1861 doubtful 40.00
Henry Pittman to & emorsed by M McMahon due Sept 30 1860 Good 148. 96
Jno C Radolph & J L Dunn 11 Feb 20 1860 Good 100.00
J G Savage Int from Jan 1 1860 10.68
" J G Savage " " " 1 1860 45.47
" L L Savage & Rickd H Smith due Feb 20 1861 Good 509.55
" Pylades Smallwood & J T Gregory " July 1 1860 Good 81.18
11 W P Solomon Int from Feb 20 1860 Good 31.00
" P Smallwood & Son Tillery to & Endorsed by Lewis Connor
Int from Jan 1 1860 Good
" Wade H Tillery to & endorsed by M McMahon" 11 " " 1860 Good
11 Same 11 11
" " M McMahon due June 25 1860 Good
" Mary A E Walker to & errlorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
11 W M Westray " " " " M McMahon " " 11 11 1861 Good
11 J J Westray " " 11 11 M McMahon " " " 11 1860 Good
" Wil & Wel R R Co . hire of negro Emerson 1862 due " 11 1863 Good
" Henry Warren to & Endorsed by M McMahon Int from 11 " 1861 Good
160.00
303 . 37
25.00
199.94
40.95
34.49
175.00
19.20
Bonds - continued
One Bond vs. Ma.ry A Webb to & Endorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860 Good
11 magistrates Judgement vs . Jefferson McDaniel dated July 28th 1859 Bad
11 unaccepted draft Jan 1 1861 at sight M A Willcox on M B Eppes
11 bond vs. W H Clark Jr. to & erxiorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
11 11 11 Adam Cochran to & erdorsed by M McMahon " 11 11 1 1860 Good
11 11 11 Adam Cochran " 11 "
11 M McMahon 11 11 11 1 1861 Good
Stocks & Public Bonds
$ 65 . 80
30. 00
127 . 00
35.12
86.09
56.96
Certificates of One hundred and eighteen shares of Stock in the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad
Company
Certificate of Forty five Shares of Stock in the Bank of the City of Petersburg in Virginia
Four Bonds of One thousa.M dollars each in the North Western Virginia P.ail Road Company due
in the year 1885 with semi annual coupons attached including coupon due July 1st
1861 payable in the City of Baltimore
Three North Carolina ~tate Bonds of One thousand dollars each payable on the 1st April 1889
with semi annual coupons attached to coupon due October 1st 1862 inclusive
Certificate of One thousand dollars payable on January 1st 1865 by the State of North Carolina
to the President & directors of the Literary fun:i with semi annual coupOns
atta ched to coupon due Jan 1, 1863 inclusive
Two bonds of One thousand dollars each issued by the Town of Petersburg Virginia due August
let 1870 with semi annual coupons attached including coupon due Feb 1st 1863
One bond of the Confederate States for five hundred dollars of the fifteen million loan
with semi annual coupons attached including coupon due Sept. 1st 1862.
One policy of Insurance tor Ten thousand dollars on the Lite of Testater in the National
'- loan tund life Assurance Society of London premiums seem to have been
regularly paid.
Bonds vs. Insolvent Persons
Five bonds against James Simmons each for the sum of fifty dollars ($50) each dated Jul 1st
1851 one payable five years after date one six years after date one seven years
after date one eight years after date and one nine years after date.
One other bond against James Simmons due July 1st 1850
One bom vs. A W Ormond due April 7th 1850
$ 67.50
59.70
18.43
128.39
62.89
11 11 11 A W Ormond due March 9th 1850
11 11 11 Durden Davis due Feby 15th 1845
11 11 11 R H Crowell 11 Dec 16th 1849
Three 11 11 W N Allen One payable July 1st 1855 One payable Oct 1st 1855, & one
payable Jan 1, 1856 each for the sum of
One 11 11 Levi Bryan for $114.35, with credits endorsed as follows viz Feb 22nd
1845 $25.00 Apr 24th 1845 $19J.4 May 22nd 1845 $20. Oct 22nd 1845
$10.00 Oct 30th 1846 $10.00 Nov 30th 1846. $3.40 Jany 15th 1849, $4.05
11
" Henry Archer Interest from Jan 1st 1851 47.79
fl II Robert Whitaker due March 8th 1845 46.05
n II A Hedrick & James Jones Interest from Jany 1st 1840 29. 53
-
11 11 11 Henry Garett due Feby 15th 1848 34.06
11 11 Robert H Glover due Fe by 22nd 1846 42.19
II II J J Judge II II 17th 1847 30.29
'-'
11 11 11 James Johnston Interest from Jan 1st 1842 29.38
"
11 11 B S Harwell to M & T Ferrall due June 20th 1844 59.70
11 11 11 Robert Spiers due Feb 9th 1844 to W H Paull & Co. 76 61
On judgement & Execution by a •gistrate vs. Levi Bryan Int from Jan 1 184.6 70 · oo
II II It ri II It II II If 1846 • vs. " Jan 1 74.39
II
II
II
125.00
e
One bond vs.
II II II
II " II
II II II
II " II
" " "
II " "
II II "
One bond vs.
" " "
" " " II " "
II " " II " " II II II
" " II
II " " II II "
" " II
.......... " " II
One bond vs.
II II II
" II II
II II II
II " " II II II
" " It
" " "
" " "
" II II
" II II
" " " II " II
" II II
II II n
II " " e
..........,
Account vs.
II II
Bonds to M Ferrall as Guardian of F. B. Ferrall
The following for the hire of Negroes for 1860 due January 2nd 1861
John W Knight & Kenneth Thigpen for hire of Daniel $143.25
Thomas J Vaughan & H B Whitmore II II 11 Henry 150 . 00
W T Lawrence & Chas C Shields " " " Granville 112.00
W T Sills & Lemuel L Savage " " 11 Aggy & 2 children 62.00
E M Bryan & Gray Bryan " " " Rebecca 124.00
Saml Hyman , H B Whitmon & W T Weathersbe
" " "~ 22 . 00
Lawrence Johnston J W Johnston & H L Leggett
II II II Edy Ann 62 . 00
J Peoier II II " 2.00
Bonds for Hire of Negroes 1861 due Jany 1s t 1862
J T Burgess, J H Whitehead & R J C Neal for hire of Edy & child 15.00
Nancy Jones & wm 0 House II " " Jane 74 . 00
J Tonkey J G Savage & N B Josey " " II Alfred 164.00
H. S. Leggett, Jordan W Johnson & Robt A. Johnson
" " II Daniel 135.00
J T Savage & L L Savage II II " Maria & her 2 children 29.25
E M Bryan & Gray Bryan " II II Becky 77 . 00
W T Lawrence & D Edmondson " II II Granville 112.00
Thos J Vaughan & H B Whitmore II " II Henry 159 . 00
Jas S Nelson & W R Leggett " II " Phereby & child 94.00
J W Johnson, R A Johnson, & H L Leggett II II " Edy Ann 69.00
George Andrews & Dolphin Mezells " " " Aggy & children 63.00
W T Sills, Jno Sills & J Edmondson " II II Edy & child for
the year 1858 tor $ 1Jli.OO credit Dec. 3oth 1858 or $100.00
Bonds for Hire of Negroes 1862 due Jan 1st 1863
Nancy Jones, G Young & R H Smith hire of Jane 62.00
N B Josey & Jno H Heyman II II Altred 79 . 00
D Edmondson W Grimmer & Jno Edmondson for hire of Anderson 102 . 00
W Gr~r, D Edmondson & E C Biggs " II It Penny 22.00
J W Johnson, John W Johnson & R A Johnson II II ~ 29.00
W W Steptoe & E C Biggs " II Reuben 39.00
W R Saith II " Maria & 2 children 29 . 25
James L. Nelson & W R Leggett II II Phereby 42.00
John W Johnson & Jordan W Johnson " " Aggy & 2 children 22 . 00
Jordan W Johnson & Jno A J ohnson & R A John!on 11 Granville 87.00
Jno W Knight & L L Savage II II Daniel 131.00
Harriett E Devereux & W Grimmer II II Edy & child 15 . 00
Wlil D White, Jas A White & M T Savage " " Julia Ann 33 . 00
Thos J Vaughan & Wm Fenner II II Henry 89.00
E M Bryan & Joe Bryan II " Becky 44.00
J ordan W Johnson Jno W Johnson & R A Johnson " Edy Ann 42 . 00
Open Accounts
Cash in hands of S~h Stone & Banks Petersburg Va. 1346.96
on the M MCMahon Showing balance due Sept 1st 1862 after allowing credits
Books good 275 . 57
on books & exclusive of interest 0~0~nd 10 •76
Patrick Ferrall deducting credits
to M Ferrall due May 1 1842
Open Accounts - continued
-ount vs. Peebles Phmmer & Co Showing balance due credits in books deducted
March 27th 1862 Good $202 . 57
'- One 11 on books vs R H Smith as Gui 0 of Bessie A Ferrall now Mrs Baker due
Oct 2oth 1862
11 vs. Solomon Cherry & Co Showing balance May 25th 1860
11 11 Sarah W Joyner due January 1st 1864
11 on Books vs S D Wallace showing balance due
11 vs. M B Eppes order of Dr Willcox no acceptance thereon
" 11 M B Eppes interest from January 1st 1862
11 11 Jas M Colier due July 31st 1855
" 11 Duke Harrison due Jan 1, 1856
" " B Weathersbee int from Jan 1 1856
11 " Malicki Weston 11
" " 1 1856
11 " J L Dunn " "March 1 1855
" " Jas W Browning " 11 Jan 1 1856
" B F Cullum int from Jan 1, ~856
II 0 D Ball II II II 1, 1856
11 J Dicken 11 11 11 1, 1857
11 W T Merriman " 11
" 1, 1856
11 11 George Ford 11
" " 1, 1856
11 11 Hudson Currier " 11 1, 1856
11 11 Jas W Faucett 11 11 1, 1856
11 " H A Lockett " Dec 1, 1856
11 11 Estate of Miss Alice B Tillery 1nt from Jan 1, 1856
11 " W T Dortch 11
"
11 1, 1849
11 " Wm Privette " " 11 1, 1856 .
" " Jackson J Judge 11 11 11 1, 1856
11 " Wm Under hill 11 11 11 1, 1856
" 11 Miss M T Ferrall exclusive or his acct as Trustee for her under
the will of Thos Ferrall Int on $50 from Nov 2oth 1860 & on
$50 from June 7, 1862
11 11 Mrs. Mary Ferrall int from June 7th 1862
II II D J Maguire II II " II 1862
Judgements
II
Bad
Good
Bad
Bad
doubtful
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Good
Good
Bad
Bad
Bad
Good
Good
Judgement in Halifax County Court vs T H Christie for $185.73 with int on $173.85
from February Court 1861
II
II
in said Court vs John Tonkey N B Josey J G Sevage for 170.29 of which
$164.00 bears interest from August Court 1861
in said Court vs J. L Price for 114.73 of which $110.49 bears int from
August Court 1861 the said Jud~ements are good ..
One magistrates Judgement vs; Jas Elliott for $20.97 Int from Jaey 1st 1856 Bad
One magistrate Judgement vs ·William Phillips for $6.38 int from Jan 1, 1856 Bad
112.80
203.05
5.75
83.21
127.00
60.00
2.25
2.88
3.37
8.00
3.65
3.02
10.59
4.54
.75
37.89
17.20
137.11
4.48
7.17
1.03
.69
1.25
208.37
54.78
100.00
50.00
50.00
The following bonds payable to Charles Ferrall and endorsed by' him all against
Wholly insolvent persons Principal
One bond vs Harry Reynolds due Deer 16th 1855 $ 89.50
"
11 11 James Harding due Nov 3rd 1855 for $60.76 Credit Jany 12, 1856 $10.00 a 11 11 Theodore Dunn due Jany 3rd 1859 7 . 38
• 11 " Ann Edmoms due April 4th 1856 for $23.25 Credit Septr 22ncf 1856 $4.66
11 11 11 Mills Lomen to Ferrall & Speed due Jan 25th 1855 6.19
'-"
11 11
" Temp-Reynolds to Chas Ferrall due Deer 2oth 1855 for $34.47 Credit
Jany 25th 1856 $7.80
Real Estate
The dwelling house lots in town of Halifax No 133 & 129 on plot of said Town fronting
on Main Street and adjoining the lot of the late Dr. Jno T Pope. Store lots in said Town
ad j oining the dwelling house lots No 130 & 130! on plot of said Town and now occupied by
M McMahon, Stable and Garden lot in said town fronting on Granville Street adjoining the
lots of Dr. M A Willcox & Mrs Martha Marshall No 123 in plot of said town.
Lots known as No 50, 51, 30 & 29, in plot of said town fronting on Main Street and
running back to Dobbs Street also lot No 28 in plot of said town corner of Dobbs Street
and St Patrick Street.
Lots known as No 70, 71, 88 & 87 in plot of said town fronting on Main Street and
adj oining the lot formerly owned by the Hon Jos J Daniel and now by James V Allen &
running back to Granville Street.
The Hotel in the town of Weldon formerly known as the Whitfield Hotel afterwards as
the Exchange Hotel and now occupied by' Dr. James Johnson as a dwelling also the lot in
said town on which said Hotel Stands.
One hunired 49! acres of land adjoining the lands of J B Zollicoffer & William H
Pont on and about one mile and a half from the town of Weldon.
Amount due' trom the Estate of R T Sills as per compromise made at May Court 1862
$195.00 with interest from June 10t.h 1862 for which Lem L Savage as Adms of Wade Elliott
;._. is responsible.
Returned to November Court 1862
Edwd Conigland?
J P B Batcheloj
EXecutors
("'\
~ ..
0
~
m 4(
Capt. Hance Bond m. Martha Elizabeth Ellbeck
Richard Eppes m. Harriet Davis Bond )
Starling Marshall m. Rebecca ---
1760-1803 t 1773-1803
Michael Ferrall m. Mary Elizabeth Williams Eppes
1811-1862 I 1810-1859
Hibernia lancenia Ferrall m. Dr.
Martha Ann Mosley Eppes IJl• Frederick s. Marshall
1803-1857
Dominick James Maguire
Harriet Ann Ferrall m. (1) John Tormey (2) Michael McMahon
1845-1908 I 1835-1866 I Harriet Bond Marsb8ll. m.
Mary Maurice McMahon J
1877-19(17 . ,.., . ...
Mary Ursula Tormey m. Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary (2) m. Emily Gilliam
1864-1898 I 1959-193o
I ~
Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary Jr.
1~1908
- )
ID .,. 'E
0 i~ ~ ..:t ~(0
~ iJ ~· • iJ ~ iJ e-:: =-=;: ~;: ~:: il ill! u
)
I -
Hannie Marie Ga.ey
188'7-1969
William C. Gary
183l>-1862
e
~ 1
§
I
i t.
APPENDIX C, PART 4
'FERRALL-GARY VAULT AND CEJ.fEI'ERY INSC RIPI'IONS
(Copied Jul."f, 1973, by Elizabeth vi. Wi 1 born,
Jerry L. Cross, and Boyd D. Cathey)
On the family vault is the following
M. Ferrall S .
Family Vault
A. D. 1859
Michael. Ferrall
1811- 1862
Longford County, Longford Ireland ·
Mary Elizabeth Williams Eppes Ferrall
1810- 1859
Halifax
Dr . James Maguire
1833 - 1865
Ballyconne11 County Cavan Ireland
Hibernia Francenia Ferrall Maguire
1859-1905
John Tormey Capt. C. S. A.
1835 -1866
Gr anard County Longford Ireland
Harriet Ann Ferrall Tormey McMahon
1854- 1908
Mary Maurice McMahon
1877- 1907
On grav~stones are the following:
4 infants
Mary Ursula Tormey Gary
October, 1864- March, 1898
John Tormey Gary, 1890
Harriete M. Eppes Gary, 1892
Joseph Crawford Gary , 1894
Francis Xavier Gary, 1898
Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary, Jr .
July 12, 18S7-Mar ch 26, 1908
Nannie Marie Gary
Daughter of Mary Ursula Tormey
and Frederick Sterling
Marshall Ga.ry
November 30, 1887-January 16 , 1969
APPENDIX C
Part 5
EPITAPH S ON GRAV ES AT COLONL'. L CEHl!.""'' EfiY
Halifax Town, N. C.
(Copied about 1901 by Frederick Fralich)
1 . Epitaph taken from upright stones in Colonial Cemetery. Litera l co py
capitals and beginnings of lines.
This Stone is Erected in Mem­ory
of William Alexa-nder
Late Merchant in
Halifax in the colony he
Was Son to John Alexander
and Janet Kerr in the parish
I nverkiponet Gresnock in
Scotland and died in Halifax
in the month of Octobe r in the ·
year of Lord 1766 and his Re ­mains
are deposited here in
the hope of Blessed Resur ­ection
on the great day Aged
51 Ye a rs, 1766
2 . Grave found under Colonial Church. Discovered September J5 , 1901 .
3 .
James Millner, Esqr.
Attorne y at Law
Ob . December 9, 1776
(Note: I have always heard that James Millner reauested to be buried
under the church so as to always be within heari ng of the Gospels--
11W father, F. Sterling H. Gary and others saying so . Nannie 1>.1, Gary)
Hal ifa x Free Press gave the following information about M. Millner:
"One of the most interesting people who live in Halifax in the early days
was one James Millner 9 an attorney, who appears to have been a native of
Sussex County, Virginia . According to items regarding Millner publishen
:in the "Virginia Gazette" in Williamsburg, he was elected to the North
Carolina Assemblv in the fall of 1772 , and a great ball was held to ce ­lebrate
the event. Shortly thereafter he was thrown from his ho r se ~nd
died of a fractured skull. The inventory of ?.fi llner ' s estate was a long
one and lists a library of over five hund red volumes which was certainl y
one of the largest ones in N. C. at t~at time .
~~rket (Epitaph) flat stone .
Sacred
to
the Memory
SARAH DAVIE
Daughter of
General Allen Jones
born the 23rd Sept. 1762
4. A flat stone.
She •·r1.s married to 1/Ji 1 1 iam - DaviE' F.sr1·
on the llth of Arril 1?82
and ne parted this Life
on the 14th of Arril 1 B02,
leaving three s ons,
Allen, Hyde r A. and Fredericl' '• iill iam
and three daughtP.rs t1ary, ~arah . and Rebe cca.
In the midst of life we are in 1eath.
Beneath this Stone
rests the re~ains
of the Honorable John Sittgreaves , Judge, etc
after
Spending a Life of Honor and Integrity
in
the Service of His Cou ntry
he ended his days
on the 4th of ¥~rch, A. D. 1802
Aged 45 years
In the same grave
are the remains of
Robert Sittgreaves h is son
aged 9 years .
He was a flower left behind bj• h is
f ond parent and novt rests on his bosom
To Thee, 0 God ,
Be praise, honor and glory. Amen.
(Hon. John Sittgraves was a resident of New Bern, N. C.: was U.S . District
Judge of N. C., appointed in 1789 . )
5 . Up right s tone (a har p , ancient style, adorns the head of this stone) .
Sacred
to the memory of
WILLIAM VffiiTT INGTOU
Born in Aughneloy County
Tyro nne, Ireland
on the 21 st of Januray, 1829
died i n Halifax, North
Carolina 3rd August, 1852
Aged 23 years and 6 months
Erected by two of his schoolfellows
Green be the turf above thee
Friend of our early days
None knew thee but to love thee
None spoks but in thy praise.
e 6 . Flat stone .
--
-
'iere lies the Body of
THOt.fAS AMIS
:l/l1o departed this l i f~
On the 25th Nov . 1797
in the J6th year of his age .
This Ma r ble
is erected to his Memory by his
f riend and Relation
Richard Bennehan of Orange
(Thomas Amis was Representative of Bladen County to the Provincial Con-gress
which met at Halifax April )
7 . Flat grave stone .
In memory of
MISS SUSAN G. TURNER
who departed this life
July 28, 185?
Aged about 84 years .
Having lived an examnl arv life
She requested the following to be
inscribed on this monume nt:
Ami dst outward afflications
I feel Christ within.
(Susan G. Turner, deserted by her father, lived with friends and guardian ,
Hon . and Mrs . Wiley Jones; also with Hon . and Mrs . Frederick Starling
Marshall, Halifax, N.C . )
8. Flat stone .
9.
Mrs . Justina. Nash
0. B. 6th December An Dom
l77J
in the 25th year
of he r age.
(Hife of Abner Nash, Gove rnor of North Carolina during the British occu­pation
of Halifax, 1781; also member of Ge neral Assembly representing
Halifax and Halifax County. She was Justina Davis , wido~., of Governor
Arthur Dobbs . She married Nash later . )
Sacred
to the Memory
of
ABRAHAM HOOOE
Who departed this Life
August 2Jrd, 1805
in the 46th year of his age .
10 .
Tr i c m,.,nume nt is erected bv hi s affe ction a t e nerhew ':lm . P. oylar,
(Hodge wa s a native of fJe \'r York: he came to t: ort!'l Ca rol ina .-men it :.~ca":le
Federal ist in 1.78 5. He wa s induced t o come by Ge n. Davie a nr:l Governo r
Johnston, and opened a press. He came to Ha l ifax a bout 1788 and s tarte1
a newsoaper . He was mad e printer t o the s tate and s erved t hu s unti l
1800, and was an early donor to t he librar;r of U. N. C. )
In
Memory
of
John Boylan
of New Jersey
who was born on
the 9th of January 1.784
and died
7th October, 1799
( Nephew of Abraham Hodge.) This marker i s e r ect ed in r ememb rance of him
by his affectionate Brother Wm. Boy lan.
11. . Thi s upright marker is embellished at t he hea d by t he .c arving of a che rub,
or a child ad orned with winge--doubtless i n this i nstan ce the e mblem of
eternal youth, as the age of the subject i ndicates .
Hie jacet Corpus FRANCES
ANNE BRIMAGE, Uxor
'--_, Cul iemi. Brimage
12. A flat stone .
Hanc Colonial Arm Ob jt
21st Dec . Anno Dom 1766
Aetatis Suae 29.
A sincere friend, a tender affectionate and good '>'df e
STARLING MARSHALL
Died
March 1 5, 1803
Aged 33 years
Rebecca
Wife of
Starling Marshall
Died
September 21, 1803
Aged 30 years
leaving an infant son.
Erected by
Frederick S . Marshal l
(Starling Marshall was a landowner in Halifax County . Husband and wife
were buried in the same grave. Frederick S. Marshall was the infant above ­mentioned,
and tl-;leir only child .) By Nannie M. Gary, great- great - grand­daughter
of Starling and Rebecca Harshall.
13 . ~lat stone.
Frederick Sterling t-farshall Gary
Born -June 4, 1859
Died December 12, 1930
Erected by his \·rife and daughter.
(Clerk of Superior Court, Halifax County, 1884- 193 0)
l q. . Flat stone.
l,",,illiam Crawford Gary
1836- 1862
Erected by his son
Sterling M. Gary
(He was 1st Lieutenant, Co . G, 12th Regiment, Confederate State s
of America.)
15. .Flat stone .
Charles
The son of
Thomas & Sarah Burges
who died October 1816
Ageu 5 years
A Mothers
Affection has erected
This t omb
to his memory
APPENDIX C, PART 6
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APPENDIX C, PART 5
TRANSCRIPT OF NANNIE M. GARY WILL
On this 14th day of March 196.3 I Nannie Marie Gary the only living
child of Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary and his first wife Mary Ursula
Tonney Gary of Halifax, Halifax County, North Carolina, make this my last
will and testament and revoke all other wills made by me.
1st I wish to be hurried in a decent - not too expensive coffin in
my family grave yard, in the yard of my home, the grave to be in the South
West corner of said grave yard, behind the graves of my Mother and Brother,
Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary Jr.
2nd I wish all my just debts be paid and I direct my Executor here in
after named to pay the Estate of my step mother Eini.ly Gilliam Gary the sum
of $1500.00 (one thousand five hundred) This amount I borrowed from her to
be paid back in this way as so directed in her will.
.3rd I leave to the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh,
North Carolina my house, lot and grave yard in the town of Halifax Halifax
County North Carolina. The said house and lot being where I now live and
adjoins the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception belonging to the
Diocese of Raleigh North Carolina. I leave the property with the ·unde:r­standing
that the home be used for some charitable or diocean work and put
to use at the earliest possible date after my ~eath,

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THe ROANOKE VALLEY: A REPORT
FOR THE HISTORIC HALIFAX
STATE HISTORIC SITE
PART II
by
Jerry L. Cross- May 31, 1974
PART II .
HISTORICAL RESEARCH REPORT
FOR THE
PLAYHOUSE SITE, LOT 111
HALIFAX , NORTH CAROLINA
by John S. Duvall
February, 1970
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Documentary Research Report
II. Chain of Title
III . Archaeology Report
IV. Illustrations
A. Section of Sauthier Map Showing Lot 111
in Town Plan
B. Archaeological Excavations, 1970 (3 plates)
C. Playhouse Search~ conducted at Halifax,
North Carolina, June 15 to 25, 1970 (map)
D. Lot 111 in 1973
e -
I . DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH REPORT
-- One of the most interesting features of the "Plan of the Town of
1
Halifax" drawn in 1769 by C. J. Sauthier is the identification of the
"Play Rouse" on the southern edge of town . Significantly, no comparable
structure appears on any of the other Sauthier maps of North Carolina
towns. The presence of a playhouse building may be a clue to the cultural
life in eighteenth century Halifax, for "preoccupation with the theatre
and the drama is an index and criterion of civilization."2 There are
two factors, however, which prevent an unqualified statement concerning
the cultural importance of the "P-lay Rouse." First, there is very little
documentary evidence concerning the performing arts in eighteenth century
North Carolina; second , none of the existing records on theater activity
documents the use of the playhouse in Halifax.
American theater had its beginning in 1716 in Williamsburg; later in
the colonial period theaters were begun in Charleston, Philadelphia, New
York, and Annapolis. During the period 1723-1776 a number of American
repertoire companies, such as the Murray-Kean, Hallam, Douglas, and New
American, operated on the stages of colonial towns and villages.3 Although
many of these companies traveled extensively along the eastern seaboard--
the Douglas Company, for example, played in Rhode Island, New York, Virginia,
and Charleston between 1761 and 1766--there is no evidence to indicate that
any of the groups operated in North Carolina. 4 Indeed, the only reference
to a performing theater company of any kind in North Carolina prior to 1776
appears in the correspondence of Governor William Tryon. On June 11, 1768,
Tryon wrote the Bishop of London concerning a Mr. Giffard, "a young man who
i s engaged wi t h a company of comed ians now in t h is province. • • • 115 Giffard
apparently wanted to l eave the stage to become an Anglican minister and felt
the governor's recommendation to the bishop would help his cause. A few
days later, on June 15, Tryon wrote Governor Samuel Ward of Rhode Island
concerning the same "company of comedians •• • " who were on their way
6 north, noting that their performance was "Decent , Orderly and proper ."
The company referred to by Tryon may have been a North Carolina group>
and although no record survives of their activities outside of New Bern,
it is entirely possible that they played in Halifax. 7
The first significant reference to theater activities in Halifax
appears in the years following the American Revolution. James Iredell
wrote about the activities of a traveling company of players in a letter
in the fall of 1787. He noted that at Halifax a performance of Dryden's
The Spanish Friar was advertised, but that lack of ticket sales kept the
doors closed. Commenting on the reason for the play's lack of success,
Iredell wrot~ "I am told the indelicacy of it was the cause, and if so,
I suppose it is very indelicate indeed."8 Although this reference to a
scheduled play in Halifax is important, it does not indicate where the
play was to be performed.
The pages of the North Carolina Journal, published at Halifax in the
later years of the eighteenth century, furnish the two best indications
of theater activity in Halifax . On January 1, 1794, the Journal carried
an advertisement for a one night performance of the "Messieurs Sully,"
then on their way to Charleston from Richmond. 9 The performance was to
be held at ''Mr. Barksdale's Long-Room." Another performance to be presented
at Barksdale's Tavern was advertised on May 21, 1794: "By authority. This
evening , (May 21st) At Mr. Barksdale's Ball-Room, will be performed, A Grand
and Miscellaneous Entertainment of Activity. In four Parts. by John W.
Roberts."10
It is important to note that neither of the performances, con-ducted
by professional groups, was scheduled for the "Play House," but for
one of the town's best known taverns. 11
-e Although there is no contemporary documentary evidence which indicates
that the playhouse was used for dramatic performances, there is presumptive
evidence which suggests that such a structure may have been used for some
type of public entertainment. Since Halifax was a key political, social,
and economic center in northeastern North Carolina from 1760 to the turn
of the nineteenth century, there is reason to believe that the town citizens
would have supported cultural activities such as drama. Certainly there
were educated persons among the town's citizens, and among the owners of
surrounding plantations, who would have enjoyed dramatic entertainment.
Waightstill Avery, on a visit to Halifax in 1769, noted that upon his ar-rival
in town he was greeted by three merchants and six attorneys and took
12 part in a "splendid Ball" in the evening. In 1778, the famous peripatetic
merchant Elkanah Watson commented that "the society in this vicinity is
considered among the most polished and cultivated in the State." 13
While the social life of Halifax may have been significant, it was
as a center of local government that the town made its main mark on the
Roanoke region. The town was the meeting place of the Halifax District
Superior Court of Justice, one of five judicial districts for the colony.
It was also the seat of the government for Halifax County. Thus, there
were probably as many as six terms of court held each year in the town,
two for the Halifax District which included several surrounding counties,
and four for the County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, an adminis-trative
as well as judicial body. During the sessions of the two courts
the town became a place "where all the inhabitants of the adjacent County
came, to Decide their Lawsuits and other Differences, and probably, then
also much business was carried on. .. 14
The court terms alone would have insured that Halifax had a large
transient population several times a year, but the fact that it was also
an imp ortant commercial cent er ~ having a tobacco inspection station and
storage warehouse~ and that it stood at a key ferry crossing on the Roanoke
River (serving the road from Edenton and Virginia to New Bern)~ further
increased the number of persons who would have been likely to visit the
15 town . Certainly the large number of taverns ~ such as the Crown (ca. 1766),
Martin's (ca. 1770), and Barksdale's (ca. 1785), which served Halifax from
1760 to 1800 suggests a significant transient population, a population which
would have desired entertainment . And since traveling theater companies
based at Norfolk and Williamsburg were actually moving through the colonies
in the 1760s , there is reason to believe that Halifax was a logical stop-over
. The audience was there and the main road link from Virginia to New
Bern passed through Halifax. Companies traveling by land from Williams-burg
to Charleston would have found Halifax a perfect place for a "one
night stand. "
Despite the paucity of documentary and architectural data on eighteenth
century buildings in Halifax~ a few facts concerning the "Play Rouse" are
known . The dimensions of the building identified by Sauthier as the "Play
Rouse" were approximately sixty feet long by thirty feet wide . These di-mensions
are based on a measurement of the structure depicted on the map.
If Sauthier's cartographic technique was consistent, as the r eports of the
departmental archaeological excavations at Brunswick Town and Bath sug-
16 gest, then the measurements should be reasonably accurate. The building
probably stood on Lot 111 of the original 120 town lots laid out in 1758
by the Trustees of Halifax. Location of the structure on Lot 111 is based
on the reconstruc tion of the original town plan grid by personnel of the
Division of Historic Sites and Museums. 17 The reconstructed plan is based
on the deed histories of town lots in Halifax, including those of the gaol,
Virginia Inn, Colonial Courthouse, and various houses. The locations of
all of these structures have been verified by on- site measurement.
The construction features of the playhouse are almost completely
unknown. All of the extant eighteenth century buildings in Halifax are
of frame construction. Indeed , it seems that, in light of available evi-dence,
there were virtually no brick buildings in the town until the early
decades of the nineteenth century. A contemporary visitor at Halifax in
1774 noted, for example , that there were "many handsome buildings" in the
town and that they were "constructed of timber and painted white."1 8
Thus, the playhouse was probably a frame building, mounted on some kind
of brick foundation , perhaps pillars.
Although the deed records examined thus far have not revealed any
specific evidence of a structure on Lot 111, two transactions are of par-ticular
interest. In 1767 Joseph Montfort , a noted Halifax citizen and
first Clerk of Court for the county, bought lots 110 and 111 from Richard
Hall. According to some records, Montfort subsequently donated Lot 111
to the Royal White Hart Lodge #2 to be used as the site of a lodge building.
The structure was never built, and the lot was apparently returned to
Montfort because it was sold in the settlement of his estate in 1778. In
1800 a transaction between John Whitaker and John Hannon mentions "houses"
on lots 109, 110, and 111. The deed did not specify, however, on what
lots the "houses" stood.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13 .
14.
FOOTNOTES
"Plan of the Town of Halifax, Halifax County, North Carolina [Reference
omitted] Survey'd and Drawn in June 1769. By C, J, Sauthier." British
Museum, London, King George III's Topographical Collection, Table CXXII,
58, photocopy in Archives, Division of Archives and History, Raleigh,
hereinafter cited as Sauthier Map.
Archibald Henderson, North Carolina , the Old North State and the New
(Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company, 1941), 640.
Hugh F. Rankin, The Theater in Colonial America (Chapel Hill: University
of North Carolina Press, 1965), 8 ££.,hereinafter cited as Rankin,
The Theater in Colonial America.
Rankin, The Theater in Colonial America, 92.
William L. Saunders (ed.), The Colonial Records of North Carolina (Raleigh:
State of North Carolina, 10 volumes, 1886-1890), VII, 787.
Alonzo T. Dill, Governor Tryon and His Palace (Chapel Hill : The University
of North Carolina Press, 1955), 229.
Rankin, The Theater tn Colonial America, 141.
Griffith J. McRee, Life and Correspondence of James Iredell (New York: Appleton
2 volumes, 1857-1858), II, 157. ·'
North Carolina Journal (Halifax), January 1, 1794, hereinafter cited
as North Carolina Journal.
North Carolina Journal, May 21, 1794.
Barksdale's Tavern stood on Lot 51 in Halifax. For documentation, see
the report on the Eagle Tavern, Part II, Section B.
Harry R. Merrens, Colonial North Carolina in the Eighteenth Century:
A Study in Historical Geography (Chapel Hill: University of North
Carolina Press, 1964), 157, hereinafter cited as Merrens, Colonial
North Carolina.
Winslow C. Watson (ed . ), Men and Times of the Revolution, or Memoirs
of Elkanah Watson (New York: Dana and Company, 1856), 58
Merrens, Colonial North Carolina, 157.
15. Blackwell P. Robinson, William R. Davie (Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina Press, 1955), 147-148, hereinafter cited as Robinson,
William R. Davie; see also Merrens, Colonial North Carolina, 143- 158.
16. " Excavation Report Unit 510 . Lot 29, Brunswick Town, North Carolina :
Nath Moore's Front , 1728-1776," 23 ff. and "An Examination of the
Area of the Garden at the Palmer- Marsh House [B ath] ," 1-6. Reports
by Stanley A. South . archaeologist for Department of Archives and
History. 1965. (Cop i es of report s on file in the Archaeology Section,
Division of Archives and History, Raleigh.)
17. Reconstruction of the town grid was a combined effort involving Stanley
A. South. A. L. Honeycutt, Jr ., and various members of the Halifax
community.
18. Robinson, William R. Davie. 143.
June
---------
II. CHAIN OF TITLE
7, 1758 (Deed Book 6, p. 291). John Gibson, Richard Browning, Robert
Jones, Jr . , Commissioners of the town of Halifax to Samuel Hardy of
Edgecombe County, "two lots in the said town of Halifax containing one
half acre each and numbered in the plan of said Town 111 and 114 . "
October 29 , 1765 (Deed Book 9, p. 243). Samuel Hardy of Halifax County
to Richard Hall of Halifax County for 50 pounds proclamation money,
"Two certain lots of land lying in the town of Halifax aforesaid
containing one half acre each and distinguished by number one
hundred and one and eleven in the plan of the said Town."
January 12, 1767 (Deed Book 9, p. 523). Richard Hall of Halifax to Joseph
Montfort of the same town and county for 50 pounds lawful money, "two
Lotts of land in the said town of Halifax numbered in the plan thereof
110 and 111 being the same lotts purchased by said Hall of Samuel Hardy."
December 10, 1778 (Deed Book 14, p. 182). Henry Montfort, executor of the
last will and testament of Joseph Montfort of Halifax to Charles Pasteur
for 50 pounds proclamation money, "six lotts in the Town of Halifax as
by plan of the said Town No. 109, 110, 111, 114, 116, aforesaid."
May 17 1 1794 (Deed Book 17, p. 634) . Lunsford Long et al, executors of the
last will and testament of· Doctor Charles Pasteur for 42 pounds and 5
shillings, "Three lotts or half acres of land, known & distinguished
on the map on plan of said town by Number One Hundred & Nine (No . 109).
Number One Hundred & Ten (No. 110), and Number One Hundred & Eleven (111)."
April 25 3 1800 (Deed Book 18, pp. 593-594). John Whit.aker esquire, attorney
for the ~£ustees of the University of North Carolina to John Hannon
for 20 pounds, 7 shillings current money of North Carolina, "the lots
and houses in the town of Halifax known and destinghuished by No . 109,
110, and 111 as will appear in the plan of said town saving and reserv­ing
to Nancy Kay relict of John Kay now widow of Johnson her right and
dower in the said lots and houses, which said lots and houses became
the property of the Trustees by escheat in virtue of an act of the
General Assembly of North Carolina in that case made and provided."
September 13, 1803 (Deed Book 19, p. 346). John Hannon of the town of Halifax
to Jesse Rhymes of the town of Halifax for 20 pounds, 7 shillings,
current money of Virginia, "three lots or half acres of land in the
Town of Halifax , known & distinguished by the number one hundred &
nine, one hundred & ten, & one hundred & eleven as will appear in
the plan of said Town, saving & reserving to Nancy Kay now Nancy
Haxhall. her right & dower in said lots. • • • "
May 18 , 1808 (Deed Book 21, pp. 182-183) . Jesse Rhymes to Isaac Hilliard
$200 , htwo lots or half acres of land lying in the town of Halifax
and distinguished in the plan of said Town by the nos 110 and 111. 11
• February 23, 1810 (Deed Book 21 , p . 372). Jesse Rhymes to Isaac Hilliard
for fifty silver dollars. Conveys four acres and lots 110 and 111.
SeemS to be a repeat of the transaction above.
January 28, 1811 (Deed Book 21, p . 504). Isaac Hilliard to William Burt
for $200, "two lots or half acres land lying in the Town of Halifax
and distinguished in the plan of said Town by No . 110 and 111."
June 13, 1821 (Deed Book 25, p. 372). M. H. Pettway, Sheriff to Thomas
Burgess for $10.00 Sheriff ' s sale of Lot 111, apparently in possession
of a Giles Clark.
August 13, 1834 (Deed Book 29, p . 80). Thomas Burgess to David Hagerdon,
George H. Spaulding, and Enock King for $50.00, " one lot situated in
the Town of Halifax described in plan of said Town One Hundred and
Eleven (No. 111) formerly in the occupancy of Giles Clark and Dolly
Moss."
March 22, 1860 (Deed Book 35, p . 21). Margaret J. Halliday by Edwd .
Conigland her attorney to Thomas B. Russell for $100, "two lots of
half an acre each situated within the corporate limits of the Town of
Halifax • • • and known as the place on map of said Town as Lots
Numbered respectively One Hundred And ten and One Hundred and Eleven
being near the dwelling house of A. V. Russell, and now or lately
occupied by said A. V. Russell." Note : Russell's house was probably
on lot 92 - -see Deed Book 29, p . 82 and Deed Book 35, p. 15.
December 18, 1893 (Deed Book 108, p . 77). Ellen Dickerson and husband,
Joel Dickerson, of the State of Massachusetts to H. B. Furgerson of
Halifax for $20.00, "All that piece of or lot of land situated in the
Town of Halifax, North Carolina bordered on the North by the lands used
as a burying ground for the Colored people, on the east by the Magazine
Spring Branch, on the South by the lands or lots known as the Shade
Johnson lots and on the North by the lot on Granville Street numbered
on the plot of the Town of Halifax as Lot No . and lying immediately
in the rear of Lot No. " This probably describes lots 110 and 111 .
April 15 , 1897 (Deed Book 117, p. 422). H. B. Fergerson and wife toR.
T. Daniel, Trustee for the Bank of Weldon, for $400 , 11 all that piece
of or lot of land situated in the Town of Halifax, North Carolina,
bordered on the North by the lands used as burying ground for the
Colored people, on the east by the Magazine Spring Branch, on the
South by the lands or lots known as the Shade Johnson lots and on the
North by the lot on Granville Street numbered on the ?lot of the Town
of Halifax as lot No. ______ and lying immediately in the rear of lot
No . " This deed of trust was not cleared and apparently the lots
passed out of Fergerson's possession.
Lot 111 is c urrently owned by the Historic Halifax Restoration Associ­ation,
Inc.
III. ARCHAIDLOGY REPORT
by Stuart C. Schwartz
August 15, 1970
The archaeologist was sent to Historic Halifax State Historic Site to
attempt to locate early structures which were depicted on C. J. Sauthier's
map of Halifax drawn in 1769. Examination of the playhouse lot in Halifax
was the initial archaeological project for Halifax State Historic Site in
1970.
The data gathered by the research unit of the Division of Historic Sites
and Museums, State Department of Archives •. nd History, suggested that Lot 111
was the site of the playhouse although no actual description or reference to a
structur e on this lot has yet been found. Lot 111 today covers essentially the
same area of ground that the trustees of Halifax sold in 1758.
A visual survey of the lot indicated several places where a foundation
might be located. These areas had been pointed out to Harry Reifsnyder, site
manager , by Stanley A. South, former departmental archaeologist, when Mr.
South excavated the ruin of the Constitution House adjoining Lot 111 . Probing
with a steel rod proved impossible due to the nature of the soil--hard clay
which was dried out because of the lack of rain. Pick and shovel excavation
in a ten- foot square revealed no significant findings. The excavation did
2
reveal , however, that the excavated areas had very little topsoil (A or A
Ho rizon). A few traces of possible early buildings were uncovered in the
square dug on the lot, including brick rubble and mortar flecks, but the
artifacts found did not include handmade nails (roseheads) or window glass
which would have indicated the presence of a colonial structure. Auger borings
into several other squares and areas of Lot 111 indicated that the subsoil
(B Horizon) was sterile as predicted; no trace of builder ' s trenches dug into
the subsoil were located. The site was inspected by soil scientists from the
United States Department of Agriculture and North Carolina State University.
Both groups concluded that natural erosion and/or removal of topsoil had
eliminated approximately six to eight inches of soil. Stratigraphy in adjoining
areas proved to their satisfaction that this conclusion was correct.
1
Since the initial square failed to reveal any evidence of an early struc­ture,
efforts were increased to locate other possible foundations. Four addi-tional
squares were surveyed on Lot 112. These squares were placed over some
bricks jutting through the sod. On the assumption that these bricks were
embedded in the subsoil, the area surrounding them was opened for exploration.
It became apparent that on Lot 112 the stratigraphy differed radically from
that on Lot 111. This fact tended to corroborate the opinion of the soil
scientists concerning the soil strata on Lot 111. The examination of the
square on Lot 112 failed to indicate evidence of foundations. A long trench
placed to cut across both lots 111 and 112 and a possible roadway also proved
futile, except to indicate that the depression between these two lots was not
the road cut that it appeared to be. A trench through a shallow raised earth
mound between lots 111 and 91 provided no additional clues for the archaeologist.
The archaeological investigation of the playhouse site presented a number
of significant problems. Lot 111, the supposed site of this structure, is
presently located according to a marker based on twentieth century surveys of
the town of Halifax. The marker is at the southwestern corner of Granville
Street (extended) where it joins Market Street (extended). Neither of these
streets originally extended into the common area. Indeed, only a WPA project
made Market Street a usable road in the old town common. Working with the
Sauthier map and the scale accepted for it (1/4"=60'), it was determined that
the area of excavation was,in fact, the correct lot and general area thought
to be the playhouse site. The size of a lot sold off in 1758 was approximately
one-half acre, the exact frontage and width being unknown. The present tax map
413 shows lots 106 through 113 in essentially their original orientation;
possibly the dimensions of the lots are the same but this is not a certainty.
The 1757 law authorizing the establishment of Halifax specified that one
hundred and twenty lots were to be laid out in the new town, and that streets,
2 alleys, and public areas were to be established. Some of the present lots
measure more than t.!.~ one-half acre. If the original lot was about the same
dimensions as the present one, then the sear ch , conducted by scraping the sur­face
with a bucket loader, should have tu . ~ed up something in the nature of
a foundation or builder's trench. Looking for a building, however, that might
have set on piers, on a lot 26,000 feet square, which hap its top layers pre-viously
removed, was a nearly impossible task.
Additional excavation on Lot 90 was also completed with a similar lack of
success. Excavation here ~as prompted by another look at the maps and a
possible determination that the site might be on this adjoining lot. Mechanical
excavation produced nothing. All that was found were the remains of the nine-teenth
and twentieth century dumping areas of the town which had changed its
focal point to the new courthouse square one block southeast, at which time
the old common apparently became a refuse dump. This area was bulldozed to
clear it for public use after the state acquired it, but the subsoil remained
untouched. The scraping removed more of the trash but yielded little else.
Further excavation in Halifax at the site of the second jail helped to
verify the placement of Lot 111, but failed to answer essential questions about
the playhouse. It is listed with other prominent structures on the 1769
Sauthier map, i.e., the "Courthouse," "Gaol," "Hampe Stor"fi>r Hemp Storagy,
and "Tobaco Stor" ~r Tobacco StoragiJ warehouse. If the scaling of the map
is accurate, the location of Lot 111 would place the building on privately
owned property. The research report s upplied to the archaeologist indicates
no references which mention a structure of this sort on this property. It
would seem logical that the owner of a playhouse for public use and personal
profit would have advertised it; but the sources are scarce and no such adver-tisement
appears in those that are ava ilable.
Some sources indicate that the l o t was given by Joseph Montfort to the
Masonic Lodge . whi ~h implies that Masonic meetings may have been held in a
stru cture on the property. Again no evidence exists in the available documents
to verify the theory. The land, Lot 111, wa s listed as still belonging to
Montfort when his estate was settled in the late 1770s.
Artifact Analysis
Examination of the datable artifacts, the earliest of which are fragments
of green shell- edged earthe nware representing three plate rims, indicate a
date for the habitation of the site of early nineteenth century. This type of
3 ceramic was not imported into American until 1800. The majority of the sherds
are transfer-printed earthenware, the colors of the decals being black, red,
brown, purple, and blue. This decorative style was popular during the first
quarter of the nineteenth century. Additional ceramic fragments representing
types that were introduced in the late eighteenth century are also present in
Slllall numbers. These include "annular wares" and polychromed pearlware
popular between 1795 and 1815, as well as plain white earthenware , porcelain,
and stoneware, but their continued usage well into the late 1800s makes
definitive dating an impossibility .
Nail fragments are of types in use after 1820. Excavated glass fragments
produced a mixture of wine bottle and mason jar pieces. The usefulness of all
these items is that they point up the nature of the area as a whole . The site
may have contained a nineteenth century structure that was destroyed "in situ, "
or the land may have been used as part of a dump for household debris. A
refuse dump existed nearby, and the Constitution House stood a sho rt distance
4
to the south. Farming or landfill could have easily moved artifactal remains
onto the property in question . In either case no evidence indica tes an
eighteenth century structure on the site.
The above analysis of the artifacts does not indicate a use of the property
during the period that Sauthier ascribed a building to it . Cultural material
reeovered does include fragments of occupat ional items such as bowls, plates,
mugs, and saucers, but structural remains in stratigraphic relationship indi-eating
a building were lacking. No artifacts could be dated to the period of
the founding of Halifax. Additionally, no artifacts which might be indicative
of a theater or playhouse were found in the excavation. One might have expected
to find make-up vials, buttons, or possible lighting devices, if a building were
used as a theater, even infrequently.
Lot 111 was often sold with Lot 110 and other lots. No specific mention
of buildings is indicated, and research in Halifax deeds reveals nothing.
Removal of topsoil has prevented any further archaeological investigation.
J
-
FOOl' NOTES
1. Author's interview with Clemmon Bridgers, conservation technician
and Jerry Gordon, district conservationist, United States Department
of Agriculture, June 23, 1970. Soil probing by Joe Covington, soil
scientist, United States Department c f Agriculture, on June 24, 1970.
Also interview with Louis Aull, soil s cientiet, North Carolina State
University, and Clyde Peedin, Halifax County Agent on July 27, 1970.
2. Walter Clark (ed..), The State Records of North Carolina (Winston and
Goldsboro: State of North Carolina, 16 volumes,numbered XI - XXVI,
1895-1914), XXV, 354-355 .
3. Ivor Noel Hume, "Pearlware: Forgotten Milestone of English Ceramic
History," Antiques, March, 1969.
4. Report on the excavation of the Constitution House ruin by Stanley A.
South on file in the Research Laboratory for Historical Archaeology,
State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh. See also the
report on the Constitution House, Part II, Section C.
IV. ILLUSTRATIONS
.....'.
I
. ...'
.... . ' i : - :·. .
, .. ..:
....
...
...
,..
, ..
....
,..
, ..
' . ·-
.>
'• ftr.-. .-..; .. ,
•
?1 atE> 1
B. Archaeological Excavations, 1970
(3 plates)
Part of crew exc::tvating at the Pl ay""use site . TT" nr1-:~-...-!':>unri i.> thf•
Town n and present (third) .iail bnil_ding .
Plate 2
Excavat d sauare on Playhouse site showing t wo cl ay layers and no
occupation stratum.
•
\
Plate J
P1 ayhouse area being me chanica ll y scraoecl jn nrder t f) l "'Catc :'r>~ t~,; r·r>.-,
which might i ndi cate the T'resence of a structui'(:' .
-'
HISTORICAL RESEARCH REPORT
FOR THE
EAGLE TAVERN, IJJr 51
HAI.Ili'AX, NORTH CAROUNA
~ Jerry L. Cro8s
Septeaber, 1973
- /I'ABIE OF CONTENTS
I . Eagle Tavern: Lot 51
II. Appendixes
A. Chain of Title for Eagle Hotel Lots
B. Lots 76 and 95: The other Eagle Tavern
C. Michael Ferrall and His Family
Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4.
Part 5.
Part 6 .
Biographical Sketch
Inventory of Estate of Michael Ferrall
Ferrall-Gary Genealogical Chart
Ferrall-Gary Vault and Cemetery Inscriptions
Epitaphs on Graves at Colonial Cemetery
Will of Nannie Marie Gary (with transcription)
D. Pertinent Documents
Part l.
Part 2 .
Part 3 .
Part 4.
III. Illustrations
Abstract of Jesse Rhymes' Inventory with Reference
to Eagle Hotel
Benjamin F. Gary Application for Guardianship of
Sterling M. Gary
Guardian Account of ~ . M. Gary Estate
Letter from Farrel Oakes Regarding Sugar Dish
A. Eagle Tavern, 1972
B. Section of Sauthier Map of Halifax Showing Original
and Present Site of Eagle Tavern
C-1. Ferrall-Gary Vault
C-2. Family Cemetery
C- 3 . Colonial Cemetery
D. Autographed Portrait of lafayette
E. "Lafayette Sugar Dish "
-
PREFACE
Plans to relocate the Ferrall-Gary house in Halifax, traditionally
called the Eagle Tavern, within the Historic Halifax State Historic Site
demanded that an in-depth research report be undertaken. The search for
information included genealogical and deed research, examination of state
and local records, reading of contemporary newspapers, and close perusal
of family papers. The history of a house can be compiled only in terms of
the people who owned or lived in it and the events with which it was in­volved.
The completed report is thus predominately a social history of
the Eagle Tavern.
Readere of this report will note that the terms tavern and ordinary
are frequently interchanged. The researchers were aware that in England
taverns, inns, and ordinaries had separate and distinct functions . In '
early Halifax, however, the terms were synonymous and remained so until the
development of the Eagle Hotel . The first recorded distinction between pub­lic
facilities (tavern and hotel) occurs about the time of Lafayette's visit
in 1825. A more detailed study of the General's stay at the hotel can be
foun:i in "Gene ral Lafayette Visits Halifax," a research report on file in
the researchers' office in the Historic Sites and Museums Section of the
Divieion of Archives and History.
This research report on the Eagle Tavern traces the history of the
building to about 1845. At that time it appears to have been moved to its
present site where it has since remained as a private residence . Long be -
fore the outbreak of the Civil War, the historical significance of the
Eagle Tavern had been established.
It would be impossible to acknowledge individually all of the as­sistance
received while this project has been underway; however, we would
like to thank Mrs. Margaret Hofmann, Mrs. Helen Boykin, The Most Reverend
Vincent s. Waters, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, The
Very Reve rend Gerald L. Lewis, Chancellor of the Diocese of Raleigh, and
Mr. Ray S. Wilkinson, Chairman of the Historic Halifax Restoration As ­sociation.
-- THE EAGLE TAVERN
Lot 51
The Eagle Tavern, now located on the southwestern outskirts of the
Halifax historic district, originally stood on the site presently occupied
by the Andrew Jackson School . Records indicate that it was part of a
hotel complex whos e construction began before the American Revolution. The
Eagle Hotel, of which the tavern apparently was a part, was one of the
most popular establishments in Halifax, and it played an important role in
the political and social activity of the town.
Existence of the house around which the Eagle Hotel developed can be
traced to the early 1760s. It was constructed on lot number 51 of the town
plan by Alexander Elmsey, a prominent Halifax lawyer who served in the
North Carolina House of CollUilons and later as a special agent to Parliament. 1
The construction date can be placed historically between 1758 and 1763,
and the structure appears on the Sauthier Map of 1769.
2
Elmsey sold the
property and all houses to Blake Baker and Abner Nash in 1763.3 Nash later
became the second governor of the state of North Carolina. 4 In June, 1770,
Mary Baker, widow of Blake Baker, sold the property to William Martin. 5
Marti.n converted the house into a tavern sometime before 1774. Com-parati
vely little is known about the proprietor, but Martin' s Tavern
became a popular establishment , and for an unknown period of time was
called the "Sign of the Thistle. n
6 John Smyth, an Englishman touring the
colonies, visited the tavern in 1774 and described it as "the best house
of public entertainment in Halifax." 7 The "Sign of the Thistle" stood a
block northeast of the old courthouse, and undoubtedly many political
decisions were made over a tankard of ale. The Royal White Hart Lodge
(Masonic) f requently conducted business at "Mr. Martin's," and continued
to meet at the tavern under Martin's successors.
8
In addition, Halifax
hosted two provincial congresses during the American Revolution. 9 Records
indicate that the tavern was the site of important decisions concerning
North Carolina ' s pArticipation in the drive for independence.
10
Sometime after the Revolution, the name "Sign of the Thistle" was
drop?ed. In 1786, William Barksdale, a Halifax merchant and businessman,
was granted a tavern license to operate "at the house commonly known by
the name of William Martin' s Ordinary in the Town of Halifax. ,ll For
several years, Barksdale leased the tavern from Martin , and after the
latter's death, Barksdale purchased the property from the estate of the
deceased. 12
Barksdale apparently kept the tavern in continuous operation. In
1792 , the county court issued an ordinary license "to William Barksdale at
his dwelling house in Halifa.x. " 13 A reward notice in 1793 for the return
of a day book stolen from his bar proves that Barksdale ' s Tavern was oper­ating
that year. 14 Entertainers who passed through Halifax, especially
in 1794, frequently used Barksdale's establishments as the place for a
performance:
January 1. The Messieurs SULLYS ••• will exhibit their Surprising
Feats in I.OFI'Y TUMBLING • • • • [a ball to follow at Mr .
Barksdale's long room]
January 29 . George Gr een to present an exhibition • • • at the ball­room
of Mr . Barksdale ' s Tavern.
May 21. ••• At Mr. Barksdale's Bal l - Room will be performed a 15 Grand and Miscellaneous Entertainment by John W. Roberts.
Sp ecial celebrations, such as Independence Day, were spent "in joyous
festivitY'' and closed with na splendid ball at Mr . Barksdale ' s wng-Room11 •
16
The long room (sometimes referred to as ball room) must have been a
fairly spacious facility either adjoining the tavern or within a short
walking distance. Two facts indicate that i t was probably not a part of
the original structure. First, the tavern originally had been built as a
dwelling house and later converted into a public establishment. Even if
Elmsey had included a ballroom in his home , it seems unlikely that it would
have been large enough for public perfonnances. Secondly, notices of public
entertainment refer specifically to the l ong room, while business trans­actions
call for attendance at the tavern. 17 This evidence is far from
conclusive, but it does appear that Barksdale either expanded his tavern
facilities, or acquired a separate structure, in order to accommodate large
numbers of people for special events.
William Barksdale owned a tobacco warehouse in Halifax, in addition to
the tavern and several lots, but his financial difficulties between 1795
and 1797 indicate that h e wa s not a good businessman. When he purchased
the Martin property in 1795, he was forced to place it under mortgage to
18 James ~e, presumably because he did not have the cash for payment. In
May, 1797, ~e threatened to sell the property if Barksdale did not meet
his obligations. 19 Meanwhile, in 1796, tobacco inspector s inventoried
Barksdale's warehouse and discovered that 240 hogsheads were missing and
"it is expected many more that is not yet discovered. n 20 Barksdale must
have repaid the debt to LYne because his heirs retained possession of the
property, but if there is any connection between the missing hogsheads of
tobacco and the repayment of the debt, it cannot be verified through the
existing records. William Barksdale died intestate at Rocky Swamp some-
21 time before February 26 , 1798.
--
--
Before his death Barksdale apparently leased his tavern to Joshua
Hopkins who 09erated the establishment from 1796 to 1798. 22
He may have
continued operations until 1800, but the records do not refer to the tavern
after 1798 . In the latter year, Hopkins's Tavern seems to have declined
in popularity, been succeeded by Tabb ' s Tavern a few blocks southwest. 23
Perhaps to compensate for a lack of business, Hopkins rented space in his
tavern to C. F. Huguenin, a watchmaker, who set up a retail shop. Huguenin
not only made and repaired watches, but sold gold rings, necklaces, earrings ,
and a variety of jewelry as well. 24 Although it may be only coincidental,
the popularity of the tavern declined as Barksdale's financial difficulties
reached their peak. A tavern structure continued to exist on lot number
51, but a quarter of a century would pass before it would again play a
prominent role in the history of Halifax.
In 1800, John Hannon leased "for two years the large and commodius
house known as Martin's Tavern. He has employed a number of journeymen and
continues as a tailor also. n
25 Now referred to as Hannon's Tavern, the
establishment served as a meeting place for various organizations, par-ticularly
the officers of both the local militia and the Roanoke Navigation
Company. 26 There are no references to the tavern between the expiration of
Hannon's lease and 1815. In 1808, however, only one tavern operated in the
town of Halifax, and that was run by James Ladd on lot number 34. 27
By
1812, Ladd's only town competitor was James Faucett whose facility was
28
located near the present courthouse; consequently, the tavern on lot
number 51 must have reverted to a private residence during those years.
Benjamin Williams was living on the property, but the existing records do
not suggest that he had any connection with the t avern on lot 51.29
Williams must have leased the property from the Barksdale heirs in whose
hands the lots remained until they were sold in 1817.
Benjamin F. Halsey and his wife Cleopatra (daughter of William Barksdale),
were among the legal heirs, and through division of Barksdale's estate in
1815, they acquired lots numbered 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51.30 Two years later,
they sold "five lotts or two and a half acres of Land together will all
\
t he improvements thereon • • • Known as t he Tavern & Stable lotts Coupland
& McCullocks lotts numbered in the plan of Said Town fi.t'ty (50) & Twenty
nine (29) ••• " to Jesse Rhymes, William Burt, Hutchins G. Burton, and
Robert Johnston. 31 The property remained in multiple ownership until 1841,
but while the title rights are somewhat confusing, the history of the
tavern is relatively clear.
Sometime before 1824, the tavern had become part of a larger complex
known as the Eagle Hotel. Thomas Gary, proprietor in that year, solicited
public patronage through the local newspaper, and references to former
occupancy by Henry Garrett and John Gary indicate that the Eagle Hotel had
32
been operating as such for several years. The 1820s mark the second
period of great popularity for the establishment on lot number 51. The
New Hope Races were o.t'ten followed by a ball "at the Eagle Hotel, in the
town of Halifax. n33 But of all the social events in which the hotel was
involved, none was more significant than the visit of General Lafayette in
1825.
The Committee on Arrangements made elabora~e plans for the reception
of the General. Arriving amidst much pageantry, Lafayette was escorted to
the piazza of the hotel where he was welcomed by Major Allen Jones Davie,
son of William R. Davie, deceased comrade-in-arms and friend of the Genera1. 34
Lafayette lodged in the hotel on the night of February 27 and was f~ted with
an elegant banquet prepared byE~ P. Guion.35
Although the r ecords concerning Lafayette's visit refer only to "the
Hotel," there are several r easons to believe that he stayed in the Eagle
Hotel on lot number 51. First of all, the Eagle Hotel, according to enter-tainnent
ann01mcements, was a popular social center only three months before
Lafayette• s visit. Furthenoore, references to "the Hotel" suggest that no
other such facility existed in Halifax at that time, and there was, conse-quently,
no need to spell out the full name of the establishment every time
it was mentioned.
Secondly, Allen Jones Davie, in his welcoming address, alluded to the
formation of the state constitution and the meeting of provincial congresses
(1776) "under this roof. n
36 The records indicate that the Eagle Hotel,
which had begun as Martin's "Sign of the Thistle," was the only public
facility dating from the Revolution and still in use. 37
Thirdly, the townspeople formed an "avenue from the Main Street to the
porch of the Hotel."38 Of the known tavern lots in Halifax in 1825, only
the structure on lot nunber 51 sat sufficiently far enough from the street
for such an avenue to form. J9
Finally, E. P. Guion had received a tavern license in August, 1824,
and it was still valid when he prepared Lafayette's dinner in February,
1825 . 40 Since Thomas Gary apparently was operating the hotel at which the
General stayed, one of two conclusions seems logical. Guion was either an
employee of the hotel, or the dinner was held at a tavern that may or may e not have been a part of the Eagle Hotel complex. Had Guion been an employee
of the hotel, he would not have needed a tavern license; instead, Thomas
Gary, the proprietor, would have required a license to retail spiritous
liquors. No such authorization was granted to Gary.
41
It thus appears that
Guion operated a tavern not connected physically to the Eagle Hotel; however,
the two seem to have been in close proximity, and the tavern also appears to
have served as the dining establishment for the Eagle Hotel. complex. Docu­mentation
for this conclusion requires backtracking to 1817' the year Robert
Johnston purchased one-fourth interest in the five lots later "called the
Eagle Hotel. ,42.
Six years after purchase, Robert Johnsto~, in order to secure his debts,
deeded to Mark H. Pettway, Hutchins G. Burton, and Robert Jones " . • • all
his right title interest part & proportion into a certain house & let &
their appurtenances lying on main & cross streets usually called the Big
Tavern. • • • n43 Burton, as trustee, advertised the sale of Johnston' s
interest in the Big Tavern in 1824.44 This sale may have been consumated,
but the records are vague. In 1829, Joel H. McLemore leased "that large
and commodius house formerly !mown as Big Tavern to run as Eagle Hotel • • • • .. 45
The possibility that the Ea~le Hotel had been renamed Big Tavern, only to
be changed back by McLemore, is removed by the payments of $15.35 to John
46 .
Hill in 1828 for repair work on the Eagle Hotel. Also, Mark Pettway's
relinquishment of his interest in "the Big or Eagle Tavern" to Sarah W.
Burton in 1836 clearly proves that only one tavern is involved. 47 That
establishment was located on lots numbered 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51, most
frequently called the Eagle Hote1.48
The most logical conclusion for the existence of an Eagle Hotel and a
Big Tavern is that a name was needed to distinguish between the structures
for deed purposes. Apparently, during the years of multiple ownership, the
older Ftructure retained thE> name Eagle Hotel , while the newer dining
facility becam e known a s the Big Tavern (perhap s a r eference to its siz e) .
The Big Tave rn seems to have disappeare d after Sarah Burton acquired three­fourths
of lots numbered 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51 in 1836 . 49
Sarah Burton sold her three-fourths inter est in the Eagle Hot el lots to
Michael Ferrall in Novembe r, 18)8. 5° Ferrall moved onto the premises and
three years later bought the remaining one-fourth part from Isaac and Frances
Faulcon. 51 For the first time since 1817, the Eagle Hotel lots were under
single owne r ship.
Michae l Ferrall was a ver,y successful r eta il merchant who amassed ex-tensive
pro?e rty holdings in and around Halifax. Much of his land came with
his marriage to Mary Elizabeth E-p?e s , a member of one of the most prominent
and wealthy Halifax famili es. By 1840, the center of activity in the town
had s hifted southwestward toward the new Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.
As a retail merchant, Ferrall wished to keep in the mainstream of activity;
consequently, about 1840 Ferrall r elocated his wares in a store several
blocks southwest, near the perimeter of the original town plan. 52 Descen­dants
of Michael Ferrall claim that he moved part of the Eagle Hotel a few
years later to use as a private residence. The house remained in the family
and was most recently occupied by Ferrall' s great-granddaughter, Miss Nannie
M. Gar,y. 53 Architectural historians agree that the Gary house was moved to
its present site from some other place. They also have stated that the
structure appears to be of late eighteenth century vintage. 54
Residents of Halifax have referr ed to the Gary house as the Eagle
Tavern for many years. Exhaustive research has failed to document the c laim
beyond question; however, a number of isolated fact s indicate that it may
well be true. Family papers state that Michael Ferrall moved the Gary
-- house, or Eagle Tavern, to its present location from one of his lots in the
older district. Ferrall did own the lots on which the Eagle Hotel sat in
1845, and his decision to relocate his retail store about that same time has
been documented previously. This falls into line with the absence of any
mention of the Eagle Hotel as a public facility after 1839,55 two years
before Ferrall acquired full title to the property. There is little doubt
that Ferrall's grandson (by marriage), Sterling Marshall Gary, through his
guardian, Benjamin F. Gary, rented "the Hotel" as a private dwelling.
John N. Brown leased the structure for $95 annually for an unknown period
of time. 56 Finally, the tentative date established for the construction of
the Gary house indicates that it was built about the time William Barksdale
expanded his tavern facilities on lot number 51. None of these facts proves
conclusively that the Gru:y house was ever .p a.r.. tf,t .o'f- the Eagle Hotel, but such
circumstantial evidence is strong support for the validity of the claim.
In conclusion, it appears that the Gary house was constructed in the
late 1700s as an addition to the expanded tavern operations on lot number 51.
By the 1820s, the facilities had grown large enough to be tenned the Eagle
Hotel, consisting of several buildings. The Gary house . ~; ambng-~lieser··~ -
buildings and may well have been the tavern and dining room for the complex.
It could not have be~n the hotel itself because that structure, according
.... , .... - to Allen Jones Davie, dated from the era of the American Revolution. If the
Gary hc:mse did serve as the tavern for the Eagle Hotel, then the name Eagle
Tavern, strange indeed for a private residence, is easily understood. Ferra.ll
logically would have moved the newer addition for a residence, which explains
the family claim that only pa.rt of the Eagle Hotel was moved about 1845·
The Eagle Hotel, with its pre-Revolutionary origins, played a prominent
role in the history of North Carolina, and through association, the Eagle
Tavern has shared that fame. The only documented historical event of sig­nificance
with which the Eagle Tavern was directly associated was the visit
of General Lafayette in 1825. Local tradition often embellishes actual
facts, and residents of Halifax have credited the Eagle Tavern wi~h events
that more properly belong to the older Eagle Hotel. Nevertheless, the
Eagle Tavern is significant in its own right. Having been constructed in
the late eighteenth century, it is one of few surviving structures to have
participated in the "Golden Age" of Halifax.
FoorNOI'ES
l. Blackwell P. Robinson , William R. Davie (Chapel Hill:
North Carolina Press, 1957), 142.
University of
2. June 7, 1758, was the day the Trustees of Halifax sold town lots to vari­ous
individuals. June 13, 1763 , was the day Elmsey sol d the lots and
houses to Blake Baker and Abner Nash. Halifax County Deed Books, Office
of the Register of Deeds, Halifax County Courthouse, Halifax, Deed Book
9, pp. 43 - 44, hereinafter cit ed as Halifax Deed Book. See a lso "Plan
of the Town of Halifax, Halifax County, North Carolina ffi.eference omit­tei/
Survey' d and Drawn in June, 1769, By c, J, Sauthier." British
Museum, London, King George III's To pographical Collection, Ta ble CXXII,
58, photocopy in Archives, Division of Archives and History, Raleigh.
Over lay of town plan drawn to scale ~ Jerry L. Cross, researcher,
Division of Archives and History, Raleigh, from "A Draught of Halifax
Plan of the town of Halifax in Roanoke River NO Carolina laid out 1758,"
Person Family Papers, OP #590, Southern Historical Collection, University
of North Carolina, Ch apel Hill, discovered ~ Margaret Hofmann of Roanoke
Rapids in 19?1. Sauthier Map with overlay hereinafter cited as Sauthier
Map .
3 . Halifax Deed Book 9, pp. 43-44.
4 . Beth Crabtree, North Carolina Governors 1 8 - 1 8 (Raleigh: State .Depart­ment
of Archives and History, 1958 , 48, hereinafter cited as Crabtree,
North Caroli.na Governors.
5. On August 18, 1'768, Abner Nash and his wife, Justina, had sold their in­terest
to Blake Baker. Baker died leaving the property to his wife a s
executrix of his will. Halifax Deed Book 10, p. 285, Deed Book 11 , p .
47 . Justina Nash had married royal Governor Arthur Dobbs while a young
girl. Widowed ~Dobbs' death, she then married Abner Nash, thus be­coming
the wife of two governors of North Carolina . She is buried in
the old colonial cemetery in Halifax.
6. Letter to New Age Magazine from Halifax, 1927, probably written by Ster­l
ing Marshall Gary, Gary Papers, now in possession of Historic Sites
and Museums Section of the 'Division of Archives and History; Minutes of
Royal White Hart Lodge No . 2, Anniversary of St . John the Evangelist,
1770, copies in the Gary Papers .
7. Recorded on a tour through Halifax in 1774. J. F. D. Smyth, A Tour of
the United States of America, 2 vols. (London: For G. Robinson , 1784),
I, 88.
8. The lodge met at Mr . Martin's in 1765, 1766, and 1769. Meetings held at
same tavern under Martin's successors in 1785, 1786, 1793, 1795, and 1800.
There may have been meetings held at Martin's Tavern between 1772 and 1783,
but the records of the lodge are missing for those years. Minutes of the
Royal White Hart Lodge No. 2, transcripts in J. Raymond Shute Papers,
Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
o '. fiJl:iam L. Sa•mders ( ed . ) , The Colonial ft. ecords of Nortl~ Ca T' o1ina (!l::; l e i E!-> '
State of North Ca r olina . 10 volumes, J. 36 t - 1890 }, X, xvii - >O--xi i j .
10 . Allen J ones Davie's welco~ing address to General Lafayette , Februa ry 27 ~
1825, quoted in Halifax Free Press, March 4, J825 .
11. Minutes of the Halifax Countv Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessjons,
1784 - 1.865 (incomplete), Archives, Division of Archives and History,
Raleigh, May 18, 1786, hereinafter cited as Halifax Court ~linut es with
appropriate date .
12 . Halifax Deed Book 17 , pp . 722 - 724, 866-867 .
13 . Halifax Court Minutes, August session, 1792 .
14 . North Carolina Journal (Halifax), Se ptember 4, 1793, hereinafter cite'i as
North Ca rolj,na Journal .
15. North Carolina Journal, January 1, 29, May 21, 1794 .
16 . North Carolina Journal, July 9, 1794.
17. North Carolina Journal , January 1 , 29, May 21, July 9, September J7 , 1794 ,
December 21, 1795, July 11 , 1796, December 26, 1796 , April 10, 1797, May
15, 1797.
18. Halifax Deed Book 17, pp. 722 - 724 .
19. North Carolina Journal, May 15, 1797.
20 . North Carolina Journal, November 28, 1796 .
21. North Carolina Journal , }~rch 5, 1798 , entry dated February 2t.
22 . Earliest mention of Hopkins is July, 1.796 . Hopkins Tavern last noted in
May, 1.798. North Carolina Journal, July 11, 1796, Mav 21, 1798 .
23 . See North Carol ina Journal , January 29, April 9, July 9, July 23 , 1798 .
24 . Nor th Carolina Journal, May 21 , 1798.
25. No r th Carolina Journal, March 24, 1800, entry dated Januat;.r l .
26. North Carolina Journal , March 24 , Hay 1.2 , 1800. The Roanoke Navigation
Company wa s organized to improve transportation on the Roanoke River by
deepening channels and removing obstacles. Operating capital was obtained
by selling non-participating stock to interested citizens .
27 . Treasurer and Comptroller's Records, County Settlements with the State­Ha
l ifax, List of Taxables, 1808 , hereinafter cited as List of Taxables
with appropriate date .
~ 28 . List of Taxables, 1812; Halifax Deed Book 34 , pp . 349- 351, 584- 586, Deed
Book 35 , pp. 145-146; Sauthier Map.
29. Barksdale 's other property holdings in Halifax included lots numbe red 34
and 35 whereon James La.dd operated a tavern. Wi 1 liams l ived on the l.ots
"formerly known as Martin's Tavern, 11 indicating that it was not being
used as such at that time. North Carolina Journal, May 7, 1798,
December 7, 1.801: Halifax Deed Book 23, p . 221.
30 . Halifax Deed Book 23, p. 221.
31 . Hutchins G. Burton served as governor of North Caro lina from 1824 to 1827 .
Crabtree. North Carolina Governors, 73 - 74 .
32 . Halifax Free Press , March 26 , April 2 , 9, 16, 1824 .
33. The New Hope Race Track was located near New Hope Plantation , about two
miles south of Halifax. The races were perhaps the most popular e nter­tainment
of the era. Halifax Free Press, November 5, 1824 .
34. Davie.' s home, Loretta, still stands in Halifax, although much altered. It
is now the home of the W. Turner Stephenson family . Halifax Free Press,
Mar ch 4 , 1825.
35 . On displa y in the North Carolina Museum of History is a sterling si 1_ver
sugar dish traditionally believed to have been used by Lafayette at the
banquet. The museum acquired the dish through Miss Nannie Gary, \'~hose
great- uncle, Thomas Gary, operated the Eagle Hotel at the time of La­fayette's
visi t. Halifax Free Press , March 4, 1825 . See illustration C.
36 . Davie ' s welcoming address t o Lafayette, quoted in Halifax Free Pr ess ,
Mar ch 4 , 1825 .
37 . The only other tavern l i cense in effect in February, 1825 , was owne d by
Dixie C. Fenner. Subsequent research revealed Fenner's Tavern to ~e
located on lots numbe r ed 40 and 59 . It appears that James Faucette
established the tavern in the early 1800s . Halifax Court Minutes,
November session, 1824~ Halifax Deed Book 34 , pp . 349 - 351 , 5g4- 586,
Deed Book 35, pp. 145- 146 .
38. Halifax Free Press, March 4, 1825 .
39. Ba sed on examination of the Sauthier Map and the fact that the structure
was of pre - Revolutionary origin.
40 . Halifax Court Minutes, November session, 1824.
41 . Examination of Halifax Court Minutes for the 1820s showed that the last
tavern license granted to Gary was in 1822 . Since the licenses were
valid for only twelve months, it had to be renewed sometime in 1.824 or
1825 . No such renewal was found .
42 . Halifax Deed Book 25, p. 105, Deed Book 30, p. 170, Deed Book 31 , p . 68 .
43 . Halifax Deed Book 26, pp. 7-8 .
44 . Halifax Free Press, November 12, 1824, entry dated October 28 .
e 45 . Hal ifa.x t.iinerva, February 25 , 1830, entry dated August 2C• , 1829 .
46 .
4".
48 .
4 9 .
50.
51.
52 .
Ha l ifax County Rec ords, Inventori es and Accou nt s of Sales . 1828- 1&7) ,
Inventory of the Estate of Jesse Rhymes, I n ale ~.rith tndre~ Jo:.T e :'
Testamentary Guarj ian, Ar chives , Division of Ar chh·es and ·~u~ tor:f.
Rale igh . See Apcendix D, Part 1.
Halifax Deed Bo ok 29, p. 362 .
Halifax Deed Book 30, p. 1?0, Deen Book 31, p . 68 .
Halifax Deed Book 30, p. 170.
Halifax Deed Book 30, p . 170.
Halifax Deed Bo ok 31, p . 68.
Roanoke Advocate (Halifax), April 1.4 , 1840.
53. Miss Nannie Gary's wiLl left the house to the Bi shop of the Diocese of
Raleigh who donated it to the Historic Halifax Restoration Association.
Plans are to restore the tavern and return it to the historic d istrict.
See Appendix C, Part 6.
54 . John Ze hmer, Bru ce MacDougal, and Al Honeycutt, Historic Sites and :.ruseu~s
Section, Division of Archives and History, Raleigh, contend that prel imi ­nary
examination of the house indicates a c onstruction date around 1790 .
~; 55 . Treasurer and Compt roller's Rec ords, Individual Claims against the State-
Ha lifax County, Rece i pt of Payment from Mr . Munfort to T. C. \'fells f or
Board and Dinner at Eagle Hotel, January 26- 30, 1839 , Archives, Division
of Archives and History, Raleigh.
56 . Halifax County Records, Estates LS . M. Gari7, Account of Benj. F. Gary
with Sterling M. Gary his Ward, October 25, 1870, Archives , Division of
Archives and History, Raleigh.
FORE\IfORD
The five l ots on which the Eagle Hotel and related buH'iings ~t0 orj
\'/ere numbered in the Halifax town pJan 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51. Before
Wi1liam Martin purchased all five lots, between 1770 and 1787, each was in
separate ownership; consequently, a chain of title for these 1.ots has five
points of origin. A brief tracing of each 1 ot title, to the time ~·1artin
acquired the property, '..rill be l isted . Once the lots fall into common owner­ship,
the chain of titl e wil l treat them as a single unit. Since the body nf
the report, to which this chain of titl e is but an appendix, is concerned with
the Eagle Hotel and its offspring, the Eagle Tavern, no attempt is made to
car:r:r property ownership beyond that of Michael Ferrall, the man who moved
,.._,- the F-agle Tavern to its present site in P...aJ.ifa.x.
APPENDIX A
CHAIN OF TITLE FOR EAGLE HOTEL LOl'S NOS . 28 . 29, 30, 50 , and 51
The Tr ustees of Hal ifax sold lot 28 to An~rew Horkins on June 7, 1 ~5q .
The consideration was two pounds. 1 By 1762, the lot ~ad rassed into th~ ~os -
session of Vivien Brooking of Virginia, who trans=erred the pro~ rty to 1etor
Copland (frequentl y spelled Copeland) of Halifax for twenty pounds Droclama­t
ion money of North Carolina on October 26 . 2 Copland , charged wit1 'i "rieht
of six hundred forty one t"o unds twelve shil1i.ngs, 11 was for~e·-l to rel iJ'1Q d:;;'1
t he pro)'1ert:v . which was sold by John Bradfo rd, S'1eriff o: ra1 if3."' Countv, to
Archibald Buc hanan of Chesterfield Co•1nty, Virginia, on t1arch 6, 1767 . The
consideration was b136 proclamation money of North Carolina. 3 Lot 50 , t o be
ri iscussed later, was included in this transaction.
Neill Buchanan, Sr . , C'lf Dinwiddie County, Virginia, received t he t wo ots
as heir of Archibald Buchanan. On October 20, 1769, he sold t he p ropert y to
James Milner, a Halifax attorney, for 1:,97.4 Uilner died without disposing of
the property, a nd his executors, Joseph Montfort, Abner Nash, and Andre•·• M.illcr ,
sold 1 ots 28 and 50 to William Martin for h13l.ll on July 26 , 1.7 73. 5
Robert Jones, Jr . , Stephen De wey, and Daniel WeJdon, Trus tee s of Hal ifax,
granted l ots 29 and 30 to Alexander McCullock on June 7 , 1.758 . 'fhe consirler-ation
was ten pounds proclamation money. McCullock's grant stipulateri that he
''erect build and finish on the said lots r e srectively one well framed hous")
sixteen feet square and ten feet pitch in the clear . "6 McCullock retained
possession of lot 29 for fifteen years , selling it on December 4, 1787, to
William Martin for ten pounds current money. 7 Lot 30 came to Martin by a
more circuitous route.
Early ownership of lot 30 is filled with apparent contradictions. On
""-. June 7, 1758, the Trustees of Halifax deeded l ot 30, a1ong with 79 and 117 ,
8
to Hugh Hardy of Edgecombe County for six pounds. Ther~ is a record of
Hugh H~rdy transferring the lot to Alexander E1 msl fW !_El msey7 i'or tvJel Vt1
pounds on May 1.8, l760; 9 but there is also .,..ecord of a Jor.n ~·!illiams gr:lrt -
10 ing lot '30 to Elmsey on June 9, 1.759. On July 23, 1762, the Trustees of
11
Halifax sold lot 30 again, this time to Alexander l•fcCul1ock . The confus i on
may have been caused by factors not apparent in the records, such as deeds of
trust, sale for inde~ess, foreclosure of mortgage, deed stipulations , in-correct
Jisting of lot numbers, or title disputes.
In any event, the lot was owned by Elmsey in 1763. On June 13, he sold
the property to Blake Baker and Abner Nash for b650 current money of Virginia.12
This transaction also included lot 51. Abner Nash and his wife , Justina, trans ­ferred
their interest to Baker on August 18, 1768, for b200 Virginia currenc:,r.13
Baker 's wifeMar.y, and son John, executors of his will , so1d lots 30 and 5J to
William J.fartin on January 20, 1770, for t.325 proclamation money of North
. 14
Carol1na.
Lot 50 was among four lots deeded by the Trustees to James Ferguson for
15
eight pounds on June 7, 1758. Ferguson's indebtedness allowed Joel Lane ,
sheriff of Halifax County, to sell lot 50 to Peter Copland (Copel and) on May
16
15, l76J . The considration was fifty-four pounds. Subsequent transactions
resulting in Martin's purchase of the property in 1773 already have been dis­cussed
in the section on lot 28.
Alexander Elmsey may have received lot 51 frotn the Trustees of Halifax
when town l ots were sold on June 7, 1758; however, no record has been found
to that effect. Elmsey is the first-known owner of the property, and on June
13, 1.763, he sold lots 30 and 51 to Blake Baker and Abner Nash. 17 Previous
discussion of lot 30 describes Martin's eventual acquisition of the property.
By 1.787, William Martin had acquired all five parcels that were to become
the Eagle Hotel lots. James Lyne, executor to William Martin's estate, sold
I'
-
I
'-/
"--
"five lotts or two & a half acres of land together with the houses there on
lying in the town of Halifax known & commonly called the Tavern & Stable lots
Copeland & McCu.llock ' s 1 ots numbered in the plan of the town fifty 8t. t\'l'3n ty
nine . • . " to Will iam Barksdale on January 8, 1795. The consideration w::~.s
b6oo. 18 Barksdale died intestate in 1798 while in possession of the prope rty.
In 1815, Eli B. Whitaker , Samuel Crowell, James Grant, Jesse B. v!iggins,
and Henry Bradford were appointed commissioners to divide Barksdale's es tate
among his legal heirs, Elizabeth (wife), Cleopatra Barksdale HalSPV (daughter),
and Benjamin F. Halsey (son- in-law). Halsey received lots 50 and 29 valued at
$3,ooo.19 On April 24, 1817 , Halsey and his wife s old "five lotts • known
as the Tavern & Stable lotts Copeland & McCu.llocks letts . " to Jesse Rhymes,
William Burt, Hutchins G. Burton, and Robert Johnstcn for $4,000 . 20
Rhymes, Burt, and Johnsto n all died before 1824, and the chain of t i t le be -
comes extremel y vague. And rew Joyner became testamentary guardian to Rhym es 1 s
estate, and even though Rhymes desired that his executors "sell my interest in
the Lots & Houses purchased of Benj . F. Halsey in any manner & at any time
they roay think proper," no record of such a sale has been found . 21
In October, 1830, Henry and Maria Garr ett s old "one- fourth part of the
Lots & premises in the Town of Halifax known by the name of Eagle Hotel" to
Hobert A. Jones and. Mark Pettway f or $500. 22 Extensive research has fail ed
to discover from whom Garrett received his portion. Through a deed of trus t
issued on February 24, 1832, John T. and Fanny Clanton authorized Andrew
Joyner, Mark Pettway, and Willi am C. Clanton, trustees, to sell 11 ••• one un -
divided fourth part of the Lot or Lots in the Town of Halifax known by the
name of the Eagle Hotel. • u23 Records do not reveal whether or not the
sale was consummated~ however, on May 29 , 1832, Pettway and Clanton released
their rights of trusteeship to Andrew Joyner . 24 Mark Pettway, on October 1,
1836, relinquished "all nzy- right and title to the Big or Eagle Tavern" to
e .
25
Sarah Burton. The extent of Pettway's ownership was not specified .
By 1838, Sarah Burton had acquired three- fourths of the Eagle Hotel lot ~ ,
26
which she sold to Hichael Ferran on November 6, for $750. Three ;rears
~ater, April 23, 1841, Ferrall obtained full title to the r emaining one-fourth
part from Isaac and Frances Faulcon. The consideration was a nomi nal
27
$1.00 fee. About 1845, Ferrall moved part of the Eagle Hotel to a site
l ocated a few blocks southwest where it became a private resid~n ce known
locally as the Eagle Tavern.
e
~
l.
2 .
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
/ l2 . ~
13 .
1.4.
1 5.
16.
17 .
18.
19.
20.
2l.
22.
23.
24.
FOCYrNarES
:-Ialifax: Deed Book 6, p . 282.
Halifax Deed Book 8, p. 260.
Halifax Deed Book 9, pp. 512-514.
Halifax Deed Bool~ 10, p. 465.
Halifax Deed Book 13, pp. 45-4.6.
Halifax Deed Book 8, p. 201.
Halifax Deed Book 16, p. 440.
Halifax Deed Book 6, p. 279.
HaJifax Deed Book 7, pp. 81-82.
Halifax Deed Book 7, pp. 38- 39.
Halifax Deed Book 8, p. 201.
Halifax Deed Book 9, pp. 43-44.
Ha1ifax Deed Book 10, p. 285.
Halifax Deed Book 11, p. 47.
Halifax Deed Book 6, p. 288 ..
Halifax Deed Book 7, pp. 296-297.
Halifax Deed Book 9, pp. 43-44.
Halifax Deed Book 17, pp. 722-724.
Halsey. also acquired lots 28, 30, and 51, probably through his wife Cleo­patra
Barksdale Halsey who also participated in the property division.
Halifax Deed Book 23, p. 105.
Halifax Deed Book 25, p. 105 .
Halifax Wills, Jesse Rhymes, vol. 4, p. 56.
Halifax Deed Book 29, p. 180.
Halifax Deed Book 28, p. 302.
Halifax Deed Book 28, p. 388.
I
25. Halifax Deed Book 29, p. 362.
26. The recorda are unclear as to how Sarah Burton (widow of Governor H. G.
Burton and daughter of Willie Jones) acquired her three-fourths interest.
One -fourth came !rom her deceased husband, H. G. Burton, and it appears
that she somehow acquired the part interests of both William Burt and
Robert Johnston . Johnston had n&~~~~ed Pettway as trustee of his interest
in 1823, along with Burton and R. A. Jones . Pettway and Jones purchased
one-fourth interest rro• Henry and Maria Garrett in 1830. Jones disap­pears
!rom transactions after 1830 and may have transferred his interst
to Pettway. That would have given Pettway one-~ interest, Sarah
Burton one-fourth, and John T. and Frances Clanton one-fourth. In 1836,
when Pett•y relinquished hia interest to Sarah Burton, she would have ·
had the three-rourthe illtereet which was sold. to Michael Ferrall. There
are other possible expl&D&ti.6ns, but this one seeu the most logical
based on aT&ilable ertdence; however, i t is only an attempt to explain
what •Y have happened, and should in no way be considered as the actual
course or events . Hali!ax Deed Book 26, pp. 7-8, Book 29, p. 180,
Book 28, p. 302, Book 29, p. 302, Book 29, p. 362, Book 30, p. 170.
27. Frances Faulcon and her !ol"!!er husband, John T. Clanton, had sold one­fourth
part or lots 28, 29, 30, 50, and 51 to Ferrall on NoTember 16,
1838, !or $250. Frances Clanton Faulcon apparently retained some rights
to the property which were relinquished in 1841 !or the nominal fee.
Hali!ax Deed Boek 30, p. 201.
APPENDU B
LOTS 76 AND 95 , THE Ol'HER EAGLE TAVERN
Use of the word Eagle as part of a title was very popu.lar after 1800 .
Three Eagle Hotels existed simultaneously in North Carolina, in P~J eigh,
Warrenton, and Halifax. Eagle Taverns were abundant, and i n Halifax, an
Eagl e Tavern flourished for several years before a different esta blishment
adopted the name Eagle Hotel. Extensive research on the first Eagle Tavern
led to the conclusion that it had no connection to the r resent structur e in
Halifax which bears the same name. This conclusion was n·ot reached , how-ever.
without much confusion about the relationship between two taverns
with the same name in a town as small as Halifax. The following bri ef his-tory
of the first Eagle Tavern was compiled to show the reasons for the
aforementioned conclusion.
Lot numbers 76 and 95 , the future site of the first Eagle Tavern ,
changed hands several times before there was any mention of a structure
on the property. The lots were unimproved in 1769, and a transfe r of t he
property from John Hannon to William Barksdale in 1 789 is the first deed to
refer to appurtenances . 1 Hannon acquired the lots in 1788, and it a ppears
2 t hat he erected a house within a year. Barksdale sold lot number 76 back to
Hannon in 1792, and two years later, Hannon "opened a House of private enter-tainment
for the accomodation of travellers and others. u3 Hannon was
by training a tailor, and be continued in that business "in [iJ shop ne-d to
his tavern and adjoining. u4 By comparison with his competitor, William
Barksdale (succeeded by Joshua Hopkins), Hannon was not very succes sful as
a tavern operator. Only one public announcement has been found concerning
his tavern on lot number 76: "Independence day celebration /Yiai/ cappeci off
with a brilliant ball at Mr. Hannon's tavern where the beauty and elegance
of our Jovely fair shone with unequalled s plendor."5
Sometime between J795 and 1798, most probably in 179'7 , James Augu s tus
Tabb took possession of the tavern lot. In January , 1796 . '1-Je anno1lnce rl
plans "to ooen by February court an elegant tavern at the house lately oc-
6 cupied by John Hannon. • • • 11 The February session of the county court
granted Tabb a tavern license, and his tavern was an immediate s uccess .
Public auctions and Independence Day celebrations were held at t he tavern .
and traveling c ompanie s performed such plays as "The Citizen" and ''The
Village Lawyer."? Tabb named his establishment Bell Tavern, and de spite
the apparent success, he placed the tavern l ots for sale only ten months
8
after opening.
Tabb was either unable to sell the property or decided against )t . He
leased the Bell Tavern to John Hannon in Fe bruary, 1799 . Hannon wa s the
first owner of the tavern in 1794 and was now leasing the establishment
five years later. He operated the Bell Tavern a pparently until 1800, at
which time he leased Martin 1 s Tavern on lot number 51. Three month s after
Hannon rented the establishment, Tabb transfered 11 2 lots numbers 76 and 95
lying in the Town of Halifax at present known and d istinguished by t he nazre
of Bell Tavern • • • • " to John Nash of Virginia . l O Nash continued to resiue
in Prince Edward County, Virginia: therefore, it seems probabl e that Hannon
operated the t avern under new ownership until 1800.
On May 4, 1803, Nash sold the Bell Tavern to Jo shua Hopkins , fo~er1y
11 the proprietor of Barksdale's Tavern on l ot number 51. Hopkins ownen the
tavern for about six weeks,during which time he renamed it the EagJe Tavt=>rn . l 2
Andrew Fleming, a Halifax merchant, purchased the Eagle Tavern f rom Hopkins
for $1,800 on June 23, 1803. 13
Although Joshua Hopkins sold the title to the property to Fleming, he
continued to run the tavern. Fleming placed the following adve rtisement in
the North Carolina Journal on November 4, 1805:
FOR SALE The Eagle Ta vern in this Town now in the possession of
Mr. J oshua Hopkins the house is commodius having a good 1ining
room and a number of bed chambers a good k itchen a neat shop on
the corner of the l ot, large garden etc ..• • 11 14
Almost two years passed however, befor e Fleming sold the property.
On June 26, 1807, Joseph Ross bought the two l ots (76 and 95) 11
••• known
15
by the name Eagle Tavern . • • • 11 for $2,000 This is the l a st time that
an Eagle Tavern is mentioned in connection with lots numbered 76 and 95 :
furthermore, subsequent deed transactions make no reference to a tavern
of any name on the lots . 16 Apparently, the structure reverted to other
usage after 1807. Tavern licenses granted in 1808 and 1812 show only two
establishments in Halifax, one on lot number 34 operated by James La.d d , and
another on lot numbers 40 and 59, run by James Faucett . 17 The mo st logical
conclusion from the available records is that the tavern ceased to operate
and was used for other purposes by subsequent owners .
A transfer of property in 1823 gives the following description:
. . . in the plat of the Town of Halifax N 76 & 95 except that
part of the building in number 76 sold to Wm. Def ord a nd 10l feet
of Ground and that part of the building sold to the branch of the
bank of Newbern & 6~ feet of Ground in the back refer ence to the
said deeds will show having thereo n the dwelling ho~se corner store
kitchen carriage house smoke house stables •••• "1
Comparison of this description with those given by Hannon in 1794 and Fleming
in 1805 reveals add itional improvements of a carriage house and a smoke house . l9
A dwel ling may have been added also when the tavern was used exclusively for
that purpose, but that is not certain. The unidentified building t hat serve1
as the dividing point between property s old to Wi lliam Deford and a parcel sold
to the Bank of Newbern may well have been the ol d tavern. Again there is no
documentary pr oof; however, eight structures, a garden, and two alleys on a
single acre of ground means that there was little open space. Such evidence e reduces the possibility that the tavern wa s moved to another lot . Since the
"---' Eagle Hotel was already i n existence in 1823, and no structur e appears to
4lt have been moved from lQt number 76, it seems l ogical to conclude that the
Eagle Tavern had no connection to the Eagle Hotel., and thus to the preAent
Eagle Tavern, except through the coincidence of having the same name .
.-"'---
.,
'--'
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9 •
10.
ll.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
FOOTNOTES
Sauthier Map~ Halifax Deed Book 17, p 301: for previous transactions ,
see Halifax Deed Book 6, p. 75, Book 7, p. 302, Book 10, p . 535,
Book 14, p. 198, Book 16, pp. 305, 314.
Halifax Deed Book 17, p. 35.
North Carolina Journal, May 7, 1794, entry dated May 1.
North Carolina Journal, August 10, 1795.
North Carolina Journal, July 6, 179 5.
North Carolina Journal, January 29, 1798, entry dated January 15.
North Carolina Journal, April 9, July 9, 23, 1798.
North Carolina Journal, November 12, 1798.
North Carolina Journal, February 11, 1799, entry dated January 29 .
Halifax Deed Book 18, p. 482.
Halifax Deed Book 19, p . 146.
Halifax Deed Book 19, pp. 146-147.
Halifax Deed Book 19, p. 147.
North Carolina Journal, November 4, 1805.
Halifax Deed Book 21, p. 56.
See Halifax Deed Book 21, pp. 130-131, Book 22, p. 21, Book 22, p. 209,
Book 25, p. 105, Book 26, pp. 7-8, 28, 47, 65, 139, Book 27, p. 10, 13,
188, 238, 232; Halifax Free Press, November 12, 1824, entry dated
October 28. ·
1?. List of Taxables - Halifax, 1808, 1812; Halifax Deed Book 34, pp . 584-
586, 349-351, Book 35, pp. 145-146.
18. Halifax Deed Book 26J p. 47.
19. North Carolina Journal, May 7, 1794, November 4, H~05 : Halifax Dee0
Book 26, p. 47.
APPIIIDIX C
Part 1
MICHAEL P'BRR1LL AliD HIS FAMILY
According to a letter written by Hannie M. Gary, great great grand­daughter
of Michael Ferrall, he CaM to Halifax about 1820 . 1 She says,
"· • • Ferrall a young Irisn.&n or Longford Co., Longford, Ireland arrived
in the eapl.o7 ot a Petersburg, Va. business !ira also having a place of busi-
2 ness here in Halifax." It is po•sible Ferrall was accompanied b.r his brother
Thoas; howe?er, the letter stat•• that Michael Ferrall was "so far as I can
learn the first Catholic to settle in this historic little town and it was he
who planted the faith here tor he practiced his religion staunchly.
Ferrall 1 s torthricht -..mer aDd hone•t7 in busine•• utters won him the respect
ot the ~t7. He p!"Oapered ce~, tor by 1840 he not only owned a
mercantile business in Halifax but al•o •s in partnership with Thomas in
Scotland tfeck. 4
Ferrall arried 1far7 Elisabeth WUliuaa lppes (Epps) ot the prominent
Eppes !ud.l7 ot VirgiJU& and lortll Carolina. She was the daughter of Richard
' 5
Eppes and Harriet Dana Bord Bppes. One ot her sisters, Martha Ann Mosely
Eppes, married Fr8derick S . Marshall or Halifax, &leo a merchant and pro-
6 mi.nent citizen.
Harriet Ann Ferrall, daugbte~ or Michael &Dd Mary Elizabeth, married
John Tor.ey first and Michael llcMahon second. A daughter, Mary Ursula, was
born to John and Harriet To~ ill 1864, t1RJ ,.ears before John's death. An­other
daughter, 1far7 Maurice, was born in 1877 to Harriet and Michael McMahon. 7
Mary Ursula To~ arried l'Nderick Sterling Mar•hall Gary, her cousin, a
grandson ot Prederick S. Marahall and Martha Ann M. Eppes. Nannie Gary, the
last DWMr or the •Iagle TaTera" was one or the children born to Mary Ursula
·--
and Sterling Gary. Marshall Gary, Hannie's brother, died in early manhood and,
8
since Hannie nenr urried, this line of Ferrall descendants ceased .
Michael Ferrall be~ a leading .. mber of Roanoke Valley society and was
instrumental in establishing the congregation which later became the Chur ch or
9
the r.m&culate Conception. A family tradition states that the charming little
church which was built in 1889, fultilled a premise made by the daughters of
Michael hrrall. It •e ... that during a denetating fire which threatened
their home, Hibernia Ferrall Maguire and Har riet Ferrall Tormey McMahon
pledged that they lftnlld baild a eharch. In a spirit or thanksgiving the
10
simple but beautitul church was conetrueted. At the time of her Cieath
in 1969, Mannie M. Gary was the only coliiiiWlieant.
l'ather Prederick Price was the first pastor of the Halifax church, one
11 of the first built 1n North Carolina under hie ~eeionary endeavors. A
hamwritten note in the Gary fud.ly papers states that the church of the Im-maculate
Concept!on was attended not only by such staunch Catholics as the
Ferralls, Ma¢res, MeMahone , and Coniglame but also by the Irish laborers
who helped build the railroads in Hall! ax and surrounding counties . 12
The story or Michael l'errall and his role in the history or the little
town of Halifax is the epito• or the American success story. The Irish 1m-migrant
acquired a great deal of property, certainly sufficient to support
hie tw daughters, Harriet Ann aDi Hibernia Francenia, l ong after his death. 13
At hie death in 1862 he held mmeroue notes and 110rtgagee, as well as rental
property am faraland. ldward Coniglam, an .outstanding attorney in Halifax
and a close triend of l'errall'• served as executor f or the estate and trans-
!erred from the Ferrall estate in 1869 the following: The distillery and fix­tures
known as Cool Spring Hou•e and lot in Scotland Neck occupied by T. N. Hill,
house and lot in Scotland Heck occupied by R. H. Sadth, Jr. , Marsh Swamp Planta­tion,
lots 54, 79, and 100 in Halifax, interest in remainder of lot 98 in Hali-
tax, land parchaeed troll estate ot Mrs. Martha B. Eppes (bought by Coniglam
in hie own right) • 14
Following the death ot Edward Conigland, Thomas N. Hill was trustee ot
the Ferrall estate am Bade meticulous notes on all expenditures through
1899. His neat account sheets are tilled with the names of families ot pro-
15
minence in the Roanoke Valley area.
There are two qlWStione ot illpertance in the restoration ot Halifax that
are related to the Perrall taail7: First, ie the present Nannie M. Gary House,
a part ot the la&].e Ta'ftrn and was it •'ftd to its present site by Michael Fer­rall,
and, second, ia the sugar dieh (now on exhibit in the MJ.seum of History,
August 22, 1973) ~he "Lat~te sugar dish," used by the general in 1825?
All persons who could establish the authenticity ot the house or sugar
dish of their own knowledge ha-n been dead tor mre than a hundred years.
Nevertheless, in order for the questions to be examined and conclusions to be
ade, the tollcnd.Dg illtor-.tion is given.
It is belieTed bT the reaearchers engased in Halitax research that certain
circumstantial eTidence renders it possible that the Ferrall-Gary house was a
~ ot the Iagle Tavern (Hotel) and that the sugar dish could have been used
by' the Marquia de Lata,-ette while he vas a visitor to Halifax.
The Ba&].e Ta-nrn, or Perrall-G&r7 home, was JDOved to its present site
about 1845, according to tudl.7 traditions. It is definitely known that after
the cOIIIing ot the railroads the ton 110'f'ed awa,. troa the ri Ter (north) and
spread to the south. There is a great deal ot evidence to substantiate the
tradition . Por exaapl.e, b.r ex.udn1.Jlg the estate papers one tinde that Ferrall
owned two store bnildinga, one ot th• used by his son-in-law, Michael McMahon,
16 and neither ot thea being in the present historic district.
That Ferrall ard Tho-.a Gary nre connected to the Eagle Hotel at sepa­rate
times and that their heirs, including Sterling Gary, benefited from the
r----------- -
17
rental of the hotel property i~ easy tcs authenticate. The building Which
has been dated about 179018 ha~ characteristic~ or buildings much earlier
than those built after the town mved away from 'What is now referred to as
the histof'iC distriet. It appears to have been the practice to move hou~es
and buildi~ with greater trequene,y during the eighteenth and nineteenth
centU17 than dur~ more recent tt.es. The Owens Hcsuse was moved from its
original site and the Conocou.ra Chapel was •ved to be used as barn or
~torehouse. Perhaps becauae tkere were fewer. Tehicles and telephone and
electric wires, it was -.ch simpler to move a btdldillg.
The "Latayette Supr Dieh," ao called because the tami.ly maintained that
it was used by the l'rencha!l Oil his visit tcs Halifax in 1825, is almost certain­ly
authentic. It is knGWn that !hous Gary, wt\G was operating the Eagle Hotel
in 1825 was the paternal p-eat uncle of N&nnie M. Gary. In the possession of
Gary relatives ie a quant'ity ot ether .silTer itfJIIS belonging originally to
~., Garya, GillU.. (-.nnie' a ete,.,ther was toraerly EII:Uy Gilliam), and Ferralls .19
In the papers relatin! to V. C. Gary's e~t&te there is an inventory of accounts
made by W. C. GaJ71S brother, Benj&Jii!l F. Gary, tor his nephew and ward, F.
Sterlift! M. Gary. Listed are three tablespoons, twenty-five teaspoons, two
eaadlestieks, tkree teapots, ODe water bowl, one sugar dish, two pitchers, two
cream pots, one pair ot SU9-r tonga and spoon, weighing in all thirty-three
. 20
pounds and "retained tor ward." The account is dated May 22, 1871. Nannie
M. Gary, da~er of Sterling Gary, was told by her father of his family tradi­tion
concerning the SU8&J" dish. Folio~ her death in January, 1969, three
aembers ot the stat! ot the DepartM!lt ot Archi vee and History went to the
Gary House in Halifax to obtain items lett specifically to the Historic Hali­ta:
r. RestoratioD Aaaoci&tiell or to the department. 21
A dozen ail .er speons -.de by a Vir!inia ail verSllith were monogr&J~~Ded
with a large "ltl"; -.mu. Gary' a will atatecl that the "R!" stood for Richard
Eppes.22
_ ...
Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary, father of Hannie M. Gary, was Clerk
of Court for Halifax County for more than thirty years . He was heir to a
23
fairly large estate froa hie grand.IIDther, Marth& Ann Moseley Eppes, whose
sister arried Michael Perrall; therefore Hannie Gary was heiress to many
faaU,- items of seftral qllite prOII:inent f&mi..l.ies .
Late in life Nannie Gary wae confined to a wheelchair ard had the op­portunity
to write ~own m&D7 of her re~scencee. She -.e ably assisted
by her steJBOther, "Mi•e Bad.l.7," who was the second wife of Sterling Gary
and a daughter of Ca¢ai.B Georp Gil Ha•. Gi111 .. was well connected to
several northeastern Borth Carolina families, hie half-brother, Edward Wood,
being the cnmer of Hayes Pl.&J:Itation in Edenton. 24
Long after the death of Sterling Gary25 the two remaining members of
his f&llily CODtimaed to dft'Ote ~ hours to preserrtng the history of
26
Halifax.
~years atter the deaths of Michael Ferrall and Frederick s. Marshall-conteaporariee,
frierds, •rcl:&ante, and brothers-in-law-Nannie M. Gary added
to the tollbstoM iMcriptioaa copied fro• the colonial cemetery by Frederick
P'rolich in 1901.27 In the papers of the Gary f&llil.y there is a note written
by Sterling Gary which s.,a that he &Dd one or two other Halifax citizens,
being more concerned than &lf7 •there, ade the decision to discontinue burials
in the old cemetery. The inscriptiou there and in the Ferrall-Gary familY'
28
ceJMtery (bekird the Ja&le TaTem) p_.,.. the brief history of two families
that -.de a great contribatien to the to'Wil of Halifax and the Roanoke Valley.
Poetscri~: Continued efforts to locate a handwritten me110randum mention­ed
in the Hannie M. Gary will ( eee Itsa 4) have proved fruitless. Sterling
Gilli.&Jil, executor, for whoa the story of the sugar dish was written, died in
1972. A telephone call to hie for.mer secretary and a subsequent check of his
files produced negative results. See Part 4 of Appendix D for letter dated
August 28, 1973.
FOarNDrES
1. Undated l etter from Nannie M. Gary written to " Dear De ar Father,'' rrobaLl y
an official of the diocese , and co pied in black composition b ook . ~ary
Papers, Historic Halifax Restoration Association, s tored in the Histor i c
Sites and Museums Section, Division of Archives and History , Ar chives ani
History-Suate Library Building, Raleigh, hereinafte r cited Gary Pape r s .
Mis s Gary was requested by Father to write down her recol l e ct ions
of Father Frede rick Price and of the Catholic Church in Halifax. This
material will hereinafter be cited as Nanni e M. Gary to "Dear Father . "
2. Nannie M. Gary to "Dear Father," Gary Papers .
3 . Nannie H. Gary to "Dear Father," Gary Papers .
4. Roanoke Advocate (Halifax), April 14, 1840.
5 . Tombstone inscription (on vault), Ferral l -{Tary cemet e ry, Ha l i f a.x , and
Na.nnie M. Gary, Gary Papers.
6 . An other sister, Hibernia Francenia Ferrall married Dr . D. Jame s Maguire
of Blll.eyconnell Gounty, Cavan, Ireland. See vauJt inscription , FerraJl­Gary
cemetery, Halifax. Mrs . Maguire survived her husband by forty
years .
7 . See inscriptions Ferrall-Gary cemetery and geneological chart in t h is
appendix.
8 . Ferrall -Gary cemetery and Gary Papers.
9 . Nannie M. Gary t o "Dear Father, 11 Gary Papers. Services were held in the
Ferrall home, where there was a special trunk kept to keep "the sacred
vessels," and other ritualistic items.
1 0 . Nannie M. Gary, Gary Pa pers.
ll . Gary Papers, r elating to the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
12. Gary Papers .
13 . Miscellaneous Estates Papers: M. Ferrall Estate by Rt . Rev. F . N. Lyn ch ,
final account, April 16, 1878 ; Thomas N. Hill in account with P. Ii. L:ynch ,
trustee; estate of M. Ferrall and others s imilarly titled and dated f rom
1878 to 1899 . Halifax Estates Papers, Micha el Ferrall, hereinafter cited
Ferrall Estate Papers .
14 . Fe rrall Estate Papers.
15. Hill lived in S~otland Neck on property owned by l{ichael Ferrall. He ser­ved
ae trustee for Ferr all's heirs for approximately twenty years .
1.6. M. Ferrall Estate Papers, passim.
17. See Inventory of Accounts, October 25, 1870, and May, 1871, Benjamin
F. Gary with Sterling M. Gary, his ward. Halifax County Records, Bs­tates
Papers (S. M. Gary), Archives and Records Section, Division of
Archives and History. This inventory will hereinafter be cited as
Benjamin F. Gary Inventory.
18. A. L. Honeycutt, Jr., restoration supervisor and Edward F. Turberg, r e­storation
specialist, Historic Sites and Museums Section, have made a
preliminary inepection of the Ferrall-Gary House (Eagle Tavern) and
concluded that the house dates from about 1790.
19. Dispositi on of property of Nannie M. Gary by Sterling Gilliam, attorney,
of Henderson, and others. Members of the family; a representative of
Bishop Vincent s. Waters, Diocese of Raleigh; Mr. William S. Powell and
Dr. Isaac Copel&!Xi of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill;
and Mrs. Joye E. Jordan, Mr. A. L. Honeycutt, Jr . , and Mrs . Elizabeth
W. Wilborn of the Division of Archives and· History: and Mrs. Charl es
Boykin of Halifax, next door neighbor and longtime friend of Nannie H.
Gary, and the Gary houeekeeper, met to divide items in the estate in
1969, following the death of Nannie M. Gary, according to her wishes
and her wiJ.l. The silver spoons and all other silver except the sugar
dish was divided among Miss Gary's cousins. This reference will here­inafter
be cited as 1969 meeting to dispose of Gary estate.
20. Ben,1amin F. Gary Inventory, 1871.
21 . 1969 meeting to dispose of Gary estate.
22. Retained by fa.Dilly, 1969 meeting to dispose of Gary estate . See A ppen­dix
C for will of Nannie Gary.
23. See Benjamin F. Gary Inventory, uno, 1871.
24. Gary Papers.
25. Gary died in 1930.
26. See numerous his~orical sketches, clippings, letters, and document s
in the Gary Papers.
27. See attached copy of tombstone inscriptions, especially those of Gary
family with notes by Nannie M. G~.
28. The Ferrall-Gary vault and cemetery are behind the house (Eagle Tavern)
where it is presently situated (August, 1973). See attached copy of
the inscriptions for tne Ferrall-Gary vault and cemetery.
APPENDIX C, PART 2
Inventory of the Estate of Michael Ferrall deceased l ate of Halifax County
which has come to the hands of Joseph B. Batchela and Edward Conigland his
Executors
Household Furniture
One doz Mahagony Chairs
11 Piano & Stool
Two mahagony side Tables
Six Girandolee
One melodeon
Two Ottomans
One parlor Carpet
Two paintings
Two portraits
Three Engravings
Two Mantle Flower Vases
One Brass Fender
One pair Braes Andirons
One fire Shovel Tongs & poker
One Side Board
One Hat Stand
Eight Arm Chairs
One large rolling Chair
One pr. plated Candlesticks
One pr. plated Snuffers & Tray
One plated Casters
One plated Basket
One plated Spoon tray
One doz S~rspoons (table)
" " " tea do.
One doz large Knives
One Carving Knife & fork
Twenty two Jelly Glasses
Three large Sal vera
One 8111&11 do.
One molasses Pitcher
One Punch bowl
Two damaged Baskets.
Two Jelly dishes
Fifteen preserve dishes
Seven large Salt Stands
Nine small do do
Two Ddlk Pitchers
Two Sugar Bowls
One invalids Chair
Eighteen cane bottom chairs
Seven Bedsteads .
Six beds and furniture
Seven mattrasses
Four Bureaus
Five Washtands
One l ooking Glass
Two v/ashstands
Three small Tables
Four Carpets on floors
One Sewing machine
Five dining Tables
One Old Sofa
Two Safes
One Secretary
One Clock
Two Vases
Two Small Rocking Chairs
Silverware
Four doz Silver Salt do .
Two broken 11 butter Knives
One Silver Soup Ladle
One II gravY "
One doz. large Silver forks
One doz. small Silver forks
Two pr. Silver Sugar Tongs.
Table Cutlery
One doz. Small Knives
Three Old Knives
Glass Ware
Seven Common Glass Tumblers
Two Celery Stands
One Water Pitcher
Two Custard Bowld
Six Goblets
Seven Wine Glasses
Three De canters
rwo bottles belonging to liquor case
Eleven•-cpampagne Glasses
Ten Demijohns
Crockery
Five Small China Cups
Seven Saucers
Four Kitchen dishes
Two 11 plates
Three Common bowls
Six mugs
Two fancy cake baskets
Six Egg cups 2 pickle dishes
Eight large common plates
Three 11 soup plates
Three 11 dishes
Two 11 steake 11
Ten Stone jars
Five large Cups & Saucers
Six common small plates
Eleven Soup plates
Nineteen dinner plates
Fifteeen desert do
Twenty Tea do
One doz China Cups & Saucers
One China Sugar dish
11 do Slop bowl & pitcher
One Earthenware dish
One Steak Dish
Two yellow nappies
Four Vegetable dishes
Five jugs Nine custart cups
Nine dishes 2 pickle dishes
Five common White Bowls
One Tureen
Five Wash basins & pitchers
Four Wht Water Pitchers
One Tea pot 1 milk Pitcher
Two Tin Jelly moulds
One Gravy Tureen
Two butter plates
One Sugar dish
Two large China Vases
Four small do do
Two Common dishes
Kitchen Furniture
Three large Pots
One Small Pot
Two Ovens
One Small Oven
One Gridiron
Two Stew pans
Two Tea Kettles
Three Spiders
Two tin pans
Three tin buckets
One tin dipper
Two water buckets
One Cooking Stove & furniture
Provisions
About 1000 lbs. Bacon hog
hams damaged
75 lbs. clarified Sugar
50 " Loaf do.
25 11 Rio Coffee
5 11 Tea
One & a half barrels Flour
Fifteen pounds of Rice
Liquors
One Gall French Brandy
Five 11 Scup Wine
Two 11 Sherry 11
One doz bottles wine
One & a half Galls Whiskey
Books
Bishop Englands Works 5 vol
Essays on various subjects 3 vol
Theologica dogmatica 4 11
Butlers Lives of the Saints 6 vols
National Portraits 3 11
Jeffersons Works 4 11
Jew of Verona 2 11
Geraldine 3 11
Saints of Sinners 2 11
M hiem 3 11
Clarks Horner 2 "
Mills Travels 1 11
Brunsons Review 3 11
And about 125 Volumes of miscellaneous
works of little value
Slaves
1 Louise Tripp. 2 Henry 3 John 4 Emerson
5 Mary & her children 6 ~harles her child
7 Martha 8 Cora 9 & Emily.
Farming Untensils Stock &c.
Two Wagons 1 Carriage nearly new
One Old Carriage
Two Sets Carriage Harness
Two Sets Wagon Harness
One Set Buggy Harness
One Top Buggy Top off
One horse least nearly new
One Old horse Cart
One Old Saddle
One Corn She l ler
Nine t bushel Peas
Ei.ghteen ! barrels Corn
One Straw Cutte~
One barrow
One double plow
One Single plow
One Old Gin
Three Old Wheels for Wagon
One Old Iron Axletree
One Buggy Spring
Four Iron Hoops
Two truck wheels Iron
Two setts plow gear
One pair of hinges
" lot of Iron hoops
One Remnant of harness
Chain of Chain pump
One platform scales
One Buggy pole
Two Carriage Horses
Two Cows & Calves
202 1 be Fodder
Cash
Cash on hand in Bank notes $36.00
Bonds
In Silver $12.21 $ 48.21
One bond vs. Lewis Arrington payable to & endorsed by M McMahon
II II
II II
II II
II II
II II
" II
II II
It "
" II
II II
II II
" II
II II
" II
" II
II II
II II
II II
II II
II II
II II
" II
II II
Int. Jan 4th 1861 good
" Hartwell Alsobrook 11 II II
27.51
II M McMahon
Int. Jan 10 1861 good 15.68
11 Thos J. Bobbit~ & L. D. Browning March 21 1861 good 150. 76
" Mary E. Alston T. B. Burton & Sarah Joyner Int from
Apr 1st 1859 Apr 1 1863
" W. W. Branch & A H Neville payable to & endorsed by
M McMahon Feb. 1 1861
" L. D. Browning II II II II II
II
II
K.McMahon due Feb 26 1861 11
11 D H. Bryan & R H Pender payable to & endorsed by Peter
Forbes am also emorsed by W J Eppes Int. from July 21
609.98
112.10
23.44
1863 Good 1,424.00
" G. W. Barnes int from Apr 3rd 1860 $172.94
credit May 28th 1860 $124.60 balance at date of
credit due May 21 1860 good
11 George W Barnes due Jan 1 1860 11
11 W G Biggs & E C Biggs due Jan 1 1861 11
" Jno · Lynch. R T Bowers & Jno T Gregory Jan 1 1861 11
11 Edwd Conigl.and March 23 1861 "
11 W. J. Cochran payable to & endorsed by
M McMahon Feby 14 1861 11
" L L Clemens & P P Clemens payable to
& endorsed by H Joyner & endorsed by
W. J. Eppes Int from Jan 1 1864 Jan 1 1864 11
" the same parties payable to & endorsed by
same parties as the preeeeding Interest
from the same time due Jan 1 1863 "
" the same parties payable to and endorsed by ·
the same parties as the two last preceeding
bonds Int from the same time due Jan 1 1862
" Andrew Conigland payable to & endoreed by M
McMahon March 1, 1860
" W J Cochran payable to & endorsed by M
McMahon March 17 1860
" Arthur McDaniel Int from Sept 22nd 1860 $117.00
credit April 22nd 1861 $53.55 balance
at date of credit due April 22 1861
" Joe J. Daniel payable to & endorsed by
M McMahon due Jan 1 1861
" Joe J. Daniel payable to & endorsed by
Isaac N Faulcon due Feb 20 1860
11 Robert J Day payable to & endorsed by M McMahon
Int Jan 1st 1860
11 J T J Daniel 11
11 " " " 11 II
Int Jan let 1860
" J W Doyal payable & endorsed by M McMahon
Int March 10, 1861
II
"
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
50.47
285.19
73.00
38.00
400.00
196.84
600.00
600.00
600.00
249.03
25 . 00
93.15
386.16
103.35
414.35
187 . 69
Bonds - continued
~ bond vs .
- 11 " "
II II II
promissary
note 11
One borxl vs •
II II II
II II II
One promis­sary
note "
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
\......,.- II II II
II II II
II II II
II " II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
11 n "
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
II II II
I Davis M C Whitaker & L H B Whitaker payable to James H
Parker & Jos B Batchelor due Jany 1 1864 Good
Jno R J Daniel 11 Feby 20 1860
David H Day " Jan 1 1860
M B Eppes payable to & endorsed by
M McMahon 11 Jan 1 1860
W J Eppes " " " " "
M McMahon with interest from 11 1 186o
W J Eppes 11 11 11 11 1 1860
Martha B Eppes Int from May 16, 1854 $1438.32 Credit
June 7th 1854, of $400. Jan 1, 1860. $168.57 balance
due Jan 1 1860
W J Eppes as Agent for M B Eppes payable to
& endorsed by M McMahon 11 July 1 1861
John Finn Int from May 12th 1861 credit May
12th a862 $30 11 May 12 1862
John Finn Int from May 13th 1859. $1500.00
Int paid May 13th 1860 $190.00 13th May 1861 $190.00
13th May 1862. $190.00 due May 13 1862
Patrick Ferral Int from April 1 1860
Isaac N Faulcon due Oct. 21, 1860 $1827.18 Credit
April 20th a861. $393.95 due April 20 1861
Peter Forbes. D B Bell to H Joyner and endorsed
by him and W J Eppes due January 1st 1863
Int from Jan 1 1860
Grimmer & Edmondson due March 16 1861
Billy Hill J. M. Grizzard & J. H. Prince 11 Jan 1 1862
J. W Green to M McMahon & endorsed by him " Feb 19/61
Int from Jan 1 1861
J J Heptinstall Int from Jan 13 1862
P.C. Howellv& J H Pnton to & endorsed by
" II
II
" II
II
"
"
II
II
II
" II
II
II
"
M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 11
E P Holland & J E Pittman payable to & endorsed by Wm H Tillery & by
M McMahon due August 11 1859 11
George W Hamill R W Neville & E D Shearer payable to
C W Neville at 60 days Int from Nov 15 1860
Henry Johnston due Jan 1 1863
Henry Joyner to W H Tillery & endorsed by him & M McMahon
Int Jan 1 1861
Sarah W Joyner to M McMahon & endorsed by him Int from Feb 16th
1861 $166.24 credit - Feby 20, 1861 $40. Jan 10 1862, $50.00
II
"
"
due Jany 10 1862 11
Washington Jones to & endorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
Cullen Lewis due Feb 1 1860 Good
Cullen Lewis to & endorsed by M McMahon due
J K Long, Jas S Snow & Jas H Whitaker due Nov 23 1860
E C McDowell to & endorsed by M McMahon due Jan 1 1861
do do to Wm H Tillery and endorsed by him &
M McMahon due October 22 1859
E McDowell, E K Neville, & Peter Forbes payable to W W Daniel
& W N Perkins as Adms of Jas D Perkins & endorsed by them
& M McMahon due Dec 21 1861
M McMahon due Sept 21¥1 1861 $2035.25 credit Apr 1 1862
$250.00 due April 1 1862
" II
II
II
"
$2363 .20
358.67
41.83
1943.58
657.64
274.04
1243.08
1727. 49
500.00
1500.00
500.00
1488.04
1152.00
71.44
30.00
28 . 08
25.88
61.32
30.00
45.36
30. 00
109.82
77.02
61.84
47 . 89
369.91
100.00
49.62
69.00
240.00
1857.10
Bonds - Continued e One borrl vs • Robert H Morre James E Morre, A Braswell, W F Lewis & Jno F
Speight to jno L Bridgers & endorsed by him & K H Dicken -
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
"
II
II
" II
"
II
\...;II
II
II
II
II
" II
II
II
II
"
"
"
II • '-' II
II
II
"
II
II
II
" n
II
"
"
"
" II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
"
" II
II
II
" II
II
II
II
" II
II
"
"
" II
II
II
"
II
II
"
" II
" II
due Jany 1 1862 Good
11 E C McDowell to Wade H Tillery endorsed by him & M McMahon
due Dec 22 1860
11 A H Neville to & erxiorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860
11 do do 11 11 11 M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861
11 W.C Ousby " 11 " M McMahon " " 11 11 1860
Good
Good
Good
Good
11 Jas L Ousby 11 11 11 M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860
$248.75 credit Feb. 25th 1860 $20.32due Feb 25 1860 Good
" W.C. Ousby & Jas L Ousby to Jno P Barnes Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
11 Jas L Ousby to & endorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
" M T Ponton to & endorsed by M McMahon due March 15 1861 Good
" Wm. H Ponton 11
" 28 1861 Good
" Wm H Ponton to & erxiorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860 Good
" M E Purnell & Thos L Purnell to & endorsed
by M McMahon Int from 11 11 1861 Good
11 Thos L Purnell to & endorsed by M McMahon due August 13 1860 Good
11 Thos L Purnell " " " 11 M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860 Good
" Tbos L Purnell " " " " M McMahon " " " 11 1861 Good
11 Thos L Purnell 11 11 11
" M McMahon due July 4 1859 Good
" Thos L Purnell negotiable and payable at the Branch of the
Bank of Va at Petersburg dated Feby 27th 1861 protested
for non payment erxiorsed by Wm. H Ponton, H J Hervey,
J H Ponton & Peeble Plummer & Co . Int from June 29 1861 Good
of protest
$1186 . 21
115.25
52.04
128.47
180. 38
230.00
500.00
450.75
203.00
85.32
154.14
416.44
25.00
411.24
398.66
30.00
600.00
" James Johnson & Virginia Johnson due Jan 1 1863 250.00
" Eli A Pearson Int from Jan 1 1860 Good 102.35
" A B Pierce to & endorsed by M McMahon " " " " 1861 Good 123.93
" Eli A Pearson " " " M McMahon " " " 11 1860 Good 352.14
11 A B Pierce due Feb 20 1860 Good 23.00
11 A B Pierce Int from Jan 1 1860 Good 33.85
11 A B Pierce to & endorsed by M McMahon 11
" 11 1 1861 Good 138.18
" Rice B Pierce 11
" Feb 20 1860 Good 100.57
11 W B Pope to & endorsed by M McMahon 11 11 Jan 1 1861 Good 119.70
11 W B Pope 11 11
" " M McMahon " 11 Jan 1 1860 Good 330.02
11 W B Pope due Jan 1 1860 credit Mar 10 1860 $200.00 due May 10 1860 Good 609.30
Arxirew Parks due Jan 1 1860 Bad 25 . 15
Jas H Parker " 11 1 1864 Good 543.53
Wm B Powell 11
" 1 1861 doubtful 40.00
Henry Pittman to & emorsed by M McMahon due Sept 30 1860 Good 148. 96
Jno C Radolph & J L Dunn 11 Feb 20 1860 Good 100.00
J G Savage Int from Jan 1 1860 10.68
" J G Savage " " " 1 1860 45.47
" L L Savage & Rickd H Smith due Feb 20 1861 Good 509.55
" Pylades Smallwood & J T Gregory " July 1 1860 Good 81.18
11 W P Solomon Int from Feb 20 1860 Good 31.00
" P Smallwood & Son Tillery to & Endorsed by Lewis Connor
Int from Jan 1 1860 Good
" Wade H Tillery to & endorsed by M McMahon" 11 " " 1860 Good
11 Same 11 11
" " M McMahon due June 25 1860 Good
" Mary A E Walker to & errlorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
11 W M Westray " " " " M McMahon " " 11 11 1861 Good
11 J J Westray " " 11 11 M McMahon " " " 11 1860 Good
" Wil & Wel R R Co . hire of negro Emerson 1862 due " 11 1863 Good
" Henry Warren to & Endorsed by M McMahon Int from 11 " 1861 Good
160.00
303 . 37
25.00
199.94
40.95
34.49
175.00
19.20
Bonds - continued
One Bond vs. Ma.ry A Webb to & Endorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1860 Good
11 magistrates Judgement vs . Jefferson McDaniel dated July 28th 1859 Bad
11 unaccepted draft Jan 1 1861 at sight M A Willcox on M B Eppes
11 bond vs. W H Clark Jr. to & erxiorsed by M McMahon Int from Jan 1 1861 Good
11 11 11 Adam Cochran to & erdorsed by M McMahon " 11 11 1 1860 Good
11 11 11 Adam Cochran " 11 "
11 M McMahon 11 11 11 1 1861 Good
Stocks & Public Bonds
$ 65 . 80
30. 00
127 . 00
35.12
86.09
56.96
Certificates of One hundred and eighteen shares of Stock in the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad
Company
Certificate of Forty five Shares of Stock in the Bank of the City of Petersburg in Virginia
Four Bonds of One thousa.M dollars each in the North Western Virginia P.ail Road Company due
in the year 1885 with semi annual coupons attached including coupon due July 1st
1861 payable in the City of Baltimore
Three North Carolina ~tate Bonds of One thousand dollars each payable on the 1st April 1889
with semi annual coupons attached to coupon due October 1st 1862 inclusive
Certificate of One thousand dollars payable on January 1st 1865 by the State of North Carolina
to the President & directors of the Literary fun:i with semi annual coupOns
atta ched to coupon due Jan 1, 1863 inclusive
Two bonds of One thousand dollars each issued by the Town of Petersburg Virginia due August
let 1870 with semi annual coupons attached including coupon due Feb 1st 1863
One bond of the Confederate States for five hundred dollars of the fifteen million loan
with semi annual coupons attached including coupon due Sept. 1st 1862.
One policy of Insurance tor Ten thousand dollars on the Lite of Testater in the National
'- loan tund life Assurance Society of London premiums seem to have been
regularly paid.
Bonds vs. Insolvent Persons
Five bonds against James Simmons each for the sum of fifty dollars ($50) each dated Jul 1st
1851 one payable five years after date one six years after date one seven years
after date one eight years after date and one nine years after date.
One other bond against James Simmons due July 1st 1850
One bom vs. A W Ormond due April 7th 1850
$ 67.50
59.70
18.43
128.39
62.89
11 11 11 A W Ormond due March 9th 1850
11 11 11 Durden Davis due Feby 15th 1845
11 11 11 R H Crowell 11 Dec 16th 1849
Three 11 11 W N Allen One payable July 1st 1855 One payable Oct 1st 1855, & one
payable Jan 1, 1856 each for the sum of
One 11 11 Levi Bryan for $114.35, with credits endorsed as follows viz Feb 22nd
1845 $25.00 Apr 24th 1845 $19J.4 May 22nd 1845 $20. Oct 22nd 1845
$10.00 Oct 30th 1846 $10.00 Nov 30th 1846. $3.40 Jany 15th 1849, $4.05
11
" Henry Archer Interest from Jan 1st 1851 47.79
fl II Robert Whitaker due March 8th 1845 46.05
n II A Hedrick & James Jones Interest from Jany 1st 1840 29. 53
-
11 11 11 Henry Garett due Feby 15th 1848 34.06
11 11 Robert H Glover due Fe by 22nd 1846 42.19
II II J J Judge II II 17th 1847 30.29
'-'
11 11 11 James Johnston Interest from Jan 1st 1842 29.38
"
11 11 B S Harwell to M & T Ferrall due June 20th 1844 59.70
11 11 11 Robert Spiers due Feb 9th 1844 to W H Paull & Co. 76 61
On judgement & Execution by a •gistrate vs. Levi Bryan Int from Jan 1 184.6 70 · oo
II II It ri II It II II If 1846 • vs. " Jan 1 74.39
II
II
II
125.00
e
One bond vs.
II II II
II " II
II II II
II " II
" " "
II " "
II II "
One bond vs.
" " "
" " " II " "
II " " II " " II II II
" " II
II " " II II "
" " II
.......... " " II
One bond vs.
II II II
" II II
II II II
II " " II II II
" " It
" " "
" " "
" II II
" II II
" " " II " II
" II II
II II n
II " " e
..........,
Account vs.
II II
Bonds to M Ferrall as Guardian of F. B. Ferrall
The following for the hire of Negroes for 1860 due January 2nd 1861
John W Knight & Kenneth Thigpen for hire of Daniel $143.25
Thomas J Vaughan & H B Whitmore II II 11 Henry 150 . 00
W T Lawrence & Chas C Shields " " " Granville 112.00
W T Sills & Lemuel L Savage " " 11 Aggy & 2 children 62.00
E M Bryan & Gray Bryan " " " Rebecca 124.00
Saml Hyman , H B Whitmon & W T Weathersbe
" " "~ 22 . 00
Lawrence Johnston J W Johnston & H L Leggett
II II II Edy Ann 62 . 00
J Peoier II II " 2.00
Bonds for Hire of Negroes 1861 due Jany 1s t 1862
J T Burgess, J H Whitehead & R J C Neal for hire of Edy & child 15.00
Nancy Jones & wm 0 House II " " Jane 74 . 00
J Tonkey J G Savage & N B Josey " " II Alfred 164.00
H. S. Leggett, Jordan W Johnson & Robt A. Johnson
" " II Daniel 135.00
J T Savage & L L Savage II II " Maria & her 2 children 29.25
E M Bryan & Gray Bryan " II II Becky 77 . 00
W T Lawrence & D Edmondson " II II Granville 112.00
Thos J Vaughan & H B Whitmore II " II Henry 159 . 00
Jas S Nelson & W R Leggett " II " Phereby & child 94.00
J W Johnson, R A Johnson, & H L Leggett II II " Edy Ann 69.00
George Andrews & Dolphin Mezells " " " Aggy & children 63.00
W T Sills, Jno Sills & J Edmondson " II II Edy & child for
the year 1858 tor $ 1Jli.OO credit Dec. 3oth 1858 or $100.00
Bonds for Hire of Negroes 1862 due Jan 1st 1863
Nancy Jones, G Young & R H Smith hire of Jane 62.00
N B Josey & Jno H Heyman II II Altred 79 . 00
D Edmondson W Grimmer & Jno Edmondson for hire of Anderson 102 . 00
W Gr~r, D Edmondson & E C Biggs " II It Penny 22.00
J W Johnson, John W Johnson & R A Johnson II II ~ 29.00
W W Steptoe & E C Biggs " II Reuben 39.00
W R Saith II " Maria & 2 children 29 . 25
James L. Nelson & W R Leggett II II Phereby 42.00
John W Johnson & Jordan W Johnson " " Aggy & 2 children 22 . 00
Jordan W Johnson & Jno A J ohnson & R A John!on 11 Granville 87.00
Jno W Knight & L L Savage II II Daniel 131.00
Harriett E Devereux & W Grimmer II II Edy & child 15 . 00
Wlil D White, Jas A White & M T Savage " " Julia Ann 33 . 00
Thos J Vaughan & Wm Fenner II II Henry 89.00
E M Bryan & Joe Bryan II " Becky 44.00
J ordan W Johnson Jno W Johnson & R A Johnson " Edy Ann 42 . 00
Open Accounts
Cash in hands of S~h Stone & Banks Petersburg Va. 1346.96
on the M MCMahon Showing balance due Sept 1st 1862 after allowing credits
Books good 275 . 57
on books & exclusive of interest 0~0~nd 10 •76
Patrick Ferrall deducting credits
to M Ferrall due May 1 1842
Open Accounts - continued
-ount vs. Peebles Phmmer & Co Showing balance due credits in books deducted
March 27th 1862 Good $202 . 57
'- One 11 on books vs R H Smith as Gui 0 of Bessie A Ferrall now Mrs Baker due
Oct 2oth 1862
11 vs. Solomon Cherry & Co Showing balance May 25th 1860
11 11 Sarah W Joyner due January 1st 1864
11 on Books vs S D Wallace showing balance due
11 vs. M B Eppes order of Dr Willcox no acceptance thereon
" 11 M B Eppes interest from January 1st 1862
11 11 Jas M Colier due July 31st 1855
" 11 Duke Harrison due Jan 1, 1856
" " B Weathersbee int from Jan 1 1856
11 " Malicki Weston 11
" " 1 1856
11 " J L Dunn " "March 1 1855
" " Jas W Browning " 11 Jan 1 1856
" B F Cullum int from Jan 1, ~856
II 0 D Ball II II II 1, 1856
11 J Dicken 11 11 11 1, 1857
11 W T Merriman " 11
" 1, 1856
11 11 George Ford 11
" " 1, 1856
11 11 Hudson Currier " 11 1, 1856
11 11 Jas W Faucett 11 11 1, 1856
11 " H A Lockett " Dec 1, 1856
11 11 Estate of Miss Alice B Tillery 1nt from Jan 1, 1856
11 " W T Dortch 11
"
11 1, 1849
11 " Wm Privette " " 11 1, 1856 .
" " Jackson J Judge 11 11 11 1, 1856
11 " Wm Under hill 11 11 11 1, 1856
" 11 Miss M T Ferrall exclusive or his acct as Trustee for her under
the will of Thos Ferrall Int on $50 from Nov 2oth 1860 & on
$50 from June 7, 1862
11 11 Mrs. Mary Ferrall int from June 7th 1862
II II D J Maguire II II " II 1862
Judgements
II
Bad
Good
Bad
Bad
doubtful
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Bad
Good
Good
Bad
Bad
Bad
Good
Good
Judgement in Halifax County Court vs T H Christie for $185.73 with int on $173.85
from February Court 1861
II
II
in said Court vs John Tonkey N B Josey J G Sevage for 170.29 of which
$164.00 bears interest from August Court 1861
in said Court vs J. L Price for 114.73 of which $110.49 bears int from
August Court 1861 the said Jud~ements are good ..
One magistrates Judgement vs; Jas Elliott for $20.97 Int from Jaey 1st 1856 Bad
One magistrate Judgement vs ·William Phillips for $6.38 int from Jan 1, 1856 Bad
112.80
203.05
5.75
83.21
127.00
60.00
2.25
2.88
3.37
8.00
3.65
3.02
10.59
4.54
.75
37.89
17.20
137.11
4.48
7.17
1.03
.69
1.25
208.37
54.78
100.00
50.00
50.00
The following bonds payable to Charles Ferrall and endorsed by' him all against
Wholly insolvent persons Principal
One bond vs Harry Reynolds due Deer 16th 1855 $ 89.50
"
11 11 James Harding due Nov 3rd 1855 for $60.76 Credit Jany 12, 1856 $10.00 a 11 11 Theodore Dunn due Jany 3rd 1859 7 . 38
• 11 " Ann Edmoms due April 4th 1856 for $23.25 Credit Septr 22ncf 1856 $4.66
11 11 11 Mills Lomen to Ferrall & Speed due Jan 25th 1855 6.19
'-"
11 11
" Temp-Reynolds to Chas Ferrall due Deer 2oth 1855 for $34.47 Credit
Jany 25th 1856 $7.80
Real Estate
The dwelling house lots in town of Halifax No 133 & 129 on plot of said Town fronting
on Main Street and adjoining the lot of the late Dr. Jno T Pope. Store lots in said Town
ad j oining the dwelling house lots No 130 & 130! on plot of said Town and now occupied by
M McMahon, Stable and Garden lot in said town fronting on Granville Street adjoining the
lots of Dr. M A Willcox & Mrs Martha Marshall No 123 in plot of said town.
Lots known as No 50, 51, 30 & 29, in plot of said town fronting on Main Street and
running back to Dobbs Street also lot No 28 in plot of said town corner of Dobbs Street
and St Patrick Street.
Lots known as No 70, 71, 88 & 87 in plot of said town fronting on Main Street and
adj oining the lot formerly owned by the Hon Jos J Daniel and now by James V Allen &
running back to Granville Street.
The Hotel in the town of Weldon formerly known as the Whitfield Hotel afterwards as
the Exchange Hotel and now occupied by' Dr. James Johnson as a dwelling also the lot in
said town on which said Hotel Stands.
One hunired 49! acres of land adjoining the lands of J B Zollicoffer & William H
Pont on and about one mile and a half from the town of Weldon.
Amount due' trom the Estate of R T Sills as per compromise made at May Court 1862
$195.00 with interest from June 10t.h 1862 for which Lem L Savage as Adms of Wade Elliott
;._. is responsible.
Returned to November Court 1862
Edwd Conigland?
J P B Batcheloj
EXecutors
("'\
~ ..
0
~
m 4(
Capt. Hance Bond m. Martha Elizabeth Ellbeck
Richard Eppes m. Harriet Davis Bond )
Starling Marshall m. Rebecca ---
1760-1803 t 1773-1803
Michael Ferrall m. Mary Elizabeth Williams Eppes
1811-1862 I 1810-1859
Hibernia lancenia Ferrall m. Dr.
Martha Ann Mosley Eppes IJl• Frederick s. Marshall
1803-1857
Dominick James Maguire
Harriet Ann Ferrall m. (1) John Tormey (2) Michael McMahon
1845-1908 I 1835-1866 I Harriet Bond Marsb8ll. m.
Mary Maurice McMahon J
1877-19(17 . ,.., . ...
Mary Ursula Tormey m. Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary (2) m. Emily Gilliam
1864-1898 I 1959-193o
I ~
Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary Jr.
1~1908
- )
ID .,. 'E
0 i~ ~ ..:t ~(0
~ iJ ~· • iJ ~ iJ e-:: =-=;: ~;: ~:: il ill! u
)
I -
Hannie Marie Ga.ey
188'7-1969
William C. Gary
183l>-1862
e
~ 1
§
I
i t.
APPENDIX C, PART 4
'FERRALL-GARY VAULT AND CEJ.fEI'ERY INSC RIPI'IONS
(Copied Jul."f, 1973, by Elizabeth vi. Wi 1 born,
Jerry L. Cross, and Boyd D. Cathey)
On the family vault is the following
M. Ferrall S .
Family Vault
A. D. 1859
Michael. Ferrall
1811- 1862
Longford County, Longford Ireland ·
Mary Elizabeth Williams Eppes Ferrall
1810- 1859
Halifax
Dr . James Maguire
1833 - 1865
Ballyconne11 County Cavan Ireland
Hibernia Francenia Ferrall Maguire
1859-1905
John Tormey Capt. C. S. A.
1835 -1866
Gr anard County Longford Ireland
Harriet Ann Ferrall Tormey McMahon
1854- 1908
Mary Maurice McMahon
1877- 1907
On grav~stones are the following:
4 infants
Mary Ursula Tormey Gary
October, 1864- March, 1898
John Tormey Gary, 1890
Harriete M. Eppes Gary, 1892
Joseph Crawford Gary , 1894
Francis Xavier Gary, 1898
Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary, Jr .
July 12, 18S7-Mar ch 26, 1908
Nannie Marie Gary
Daughter of Mary Ursula Tormey
and Frederick Sterling
Marshall Ga.ry
November 30, 1887-January 16 , 1969
APPENDIX C
Part 5
EPITAPH S ON GRAV ES AT COLONL'. L CEHl!.""'' EfiY
Halifax Town, N. C.
(Copied about 1901 by Frederick Fralich)
1 . Epitaph taken from upright stones in Colonial Cemetery. Litera l co py
capitals and beginnings of lines.
This Stone is Erected in Mem­ory
of William Alexa-nder
Late Merchant in
Halifax in the colony he
Was Son to John Alexander
and Janet Kerr in the parish
I nverkiponet Gresnock in
Scotland and died in Halifax
in the month of Octobe r in the ·
year of Lord 1766 and his Re ­mains
are deposited here in
the hope of Blessed Resur ­ection
on the great day Aged
51 Ye a rs, 1766
2 . Grave found under Colonial Church. Discovered September J5 , 1901 .
3 .
James Millner, Esqr.
Attorne y at Law
Ob . December 9, 1776
(Note: I have always heard that James Millner reauested to be buried
under the church so as to always be within heari ng of the Gospels--
11W father, F. Sterling H. Gary and others saying so . Nannie 1>.1, Gary)
Hal ifa x Free Press gave the following information about M. Millner:
"One of the most interesting people who live in Halifax in the early days
was one James Millner 9 an attorney, who appears to have been a native of
Sussex County, Virginia . According to items regarding Millner publishen
:in the "Virginia Gazette" in Williamsburg, he was elected to the North
Carolina Assemblv in the fall of 1772 , and a great ball was held to ce ­lebrate
the event. Shortly thereafter he was thrown from his ho r se ~nd
died of a fractured skull. The inventory of ?.fi llner ' s estate was a long
one and lists a library of over five hund red volumes which was certainl y
one of the largest ones in N. C. at t~at time .
~~rket (Epitaph) flat stone .
Sacred
to
the Memory
SARAH DAVIE
Daughter of
General Allen Jones
born the 23rd Sept. 1762
4. A flat stone.
She •·r1.s married to 1/Ji 1 1 iam - DaviE' F.sr1·
on the llth of Arril 1?82
and ne parted this Life
on the 14th of Arril 1 B02,
leaving three s ons,
Allen, Hyde r A. and Fredericl' '• iill iam
and three daughtP.rs t1ary, ~arah . and Rebe cca.
In the midst of life we are in 1eath.
Beneath this Stone
rests the re~ains
of the Honorable John Sittgreaves , Judge, etc
after
Spending a Life of Honor and Integrity
in
the Service of His Cou ntry
he ended his days
on the 4th of ¥~rch, A. D. 1802
Aged 45 years
In the same grave
are the remains of
Robert Sittgreaves h is son
aged 9 years .
He was a flower left behind bj• h is
f ond parent and novt rests on his bosom
To Thee, 0 God ,
Be praise, honor and glory. Amen.
(Hon. John Sittgraves was a resident of New Bern, N. C.: was U.S . District
Judge of N. C., appointed in 1789 . )
5 . Up right s tone (a har p , ancient style, adorns the head of this stone) .
Sacred
to the memory of
WILLIAM VffiiTT INGTOU
Born in Aughneloy County
Tyro nne, Ireland
on the 21 st of Januray, 1829
died i n Halifax, North
Carolina 3rd August, 1852
Aged 23 years and 6 months
Erected by two of his schoolfellows
Green be the turf above thee
Friend of our early days
None knew thee but to love thee
None spoks but in thy praise.
e 6 . Flat stone .
--
-
'iere lies the Body of
THOt.fAS AMIS
:l/l1o departed this l i f~
On the 25th Nov . 1797
in the J6th year of his age .
This Ma r ble
is erected to his Memory by his
f riend and Relation
Richard Bennehan of Orange
(Thomas Amis was Representative of Bladen County to the Provincial Con-gress
which met at Halifax April )
7 . Flat grave stone .
In memory of
MISS SUSAN G. TURNER
who departed this life
July 28, 185?
Aged about 84 years .
Having lived an examnl arv life
She requested the following to be
inscribed on this monume nt:
Ami dst outward afflications
I feel Christ within.
(Susan G. Turner, deserted by her father, lived with friends and guardian ,
Hon . and Mrs . Wiley Jones; also with Hon . and Mrs . Frederick Starling
Marshall, Halifax, N.C . )
8. Flat stone .
9.
Mrs . Justina. Nash
0. B. 6th December An Dom
l77J
in the 25th year
of he r age.
(Hife of Abner Nash, Gove rnor of North Carolina during the British occu­pation
of Halifax, 1781; also member of Ge neral Assembly representing
Halifax and Halifax County. She was Justina Davis , wido~., of Governor
Arthur Dobbs . She married Nash later . )
Sacred
to the Memory
of
ABRAHAM HOOOE
Who departed this Life
August 2Jrd, 1805
in the 46th year of his age .
10 .
Tr i c m,.,nume nt is erected bv hi s affe ction a t e nerhew ':lm . P. oylar,
(Hodge wa s a native of fJe \'r York: he came to t: ort!'l Ca rol ina .-men it :.~ca":le
Federal ist in 1.78 5. He wa s induced t o come by Ge n. Davie a nr:l Governo r
Johnston, and opened a press. He came to Ha l ifax a bout 1788 and s tarte1
a newsoaper . He was mad e printer t o the s tate and s erved t hu s unti l
1800, and was an early donor to t he librar;r of U. N. C. )
In
Memory
of
John Boylan
of New Jersey
who was born on
the 9th of January 1.784
and died
7th October, 1799
( Nephew of Abraham Hodge.) This marker i s e r ect ed in r ememb rance of him
by his affectionate Brother Wm. Boy lan.
11. . Thi s upright marker is embellished at t he hea d by t he .c arving of a che rub,
or a child ad orned with winge--doubtless i n this i nstan ce the e mblem of
eternal youth, as the age of the subject i ndicates .
Hie jacet Corpus FRANCES
ANNE BRIMAGE, Uxor
'--_, Cul iemi. Brimage
12. A flat stone .
Hanc Colonial Arm Ob jt
21st Dec . Anno Dom 1766
Aetatis Suae 29.
A sincere friend, a tender affectionate and good '>'df e
STARLING MARSHALL
Died
March 1 5, 1803
Aged 33 years
Rebecca
Wife of
Starling Marshall
Died
September 21, 1803
Aged 30 years
leaving an infant son.
Erected by
Frederick S . Marshal l
(Starling Marshall was a landowner in Halifax County . Husband and wife
were buried in the same grave. Frederick S. Marshall was the infant above ­mentioned,
and tl-;leir only child .) By Nannie M. Gary, great- great - grand­daughter
of Starling and Rebecca Harshall.
13 . ~lat stone.
Frederick Sterling t-farshall Gary
Born -June 4, 1859
Died December 12, 1930
Erected by his \·rife and daughter.
(Clerk of Superior Court, Halifax County, 1884- 193 0)
l q. . Flat stone.
l,",,illiam Crawford Gary
1836- 1862
Erected by his son
Sterling M. Gary
(He was 1st Lieutenant, Co . G, 12th Regiment, Confederate State s
of America.)
15. .Flat stone .
Charles
The son of
Thomas & Sarah Burges
who died October 1816
Ageu 5 years
A Mothers
Affection has erected
This t omb
to his memory
APPENDIX C, PART 6
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APPENDIX C, PART 5
TRANSCRIPT OF NANNIE M. GARY WILL
On this 14th day of March 196.3 I Nannie Marie Gary the only living
child of Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary and his first wife Mary Ursula
Tonney Gary of Halifax, Halifax County, North Carolina, make this my last
will and testament and revoke all other wills made by me.
1st I wish to be hurried in a decent - not too expensive coffin in
my family grave yard, in the yard of my home, the grave to be in the South
West corner of said grave yard, behind the graves of my Mother and Brother,
Frederick Sterling Marshall Gary Jr.
2nd I wish all my just debts be paid and I direct my Executor here in
after named to pay the Estate of my step mother Eini.ly Gilliam Gary the sum
of $1500.00 (one thousand five hundred) This amount I borrowed from her to
be paid back in this way as so directed in her will.
.3rd I leave to the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh,
North Carolina my house, lot and grave yard in the town of Halifax Halifax
County North Carolina. The said house and lot being where I now live and
adjoins the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception belonging to the
Diocese of Raleigh North Carolina. I leave the property with the ·unde:r­standing
that the home be used for some charitable or diocean work and put
to use at the earliest possible date after my ~eath,